Tom Law

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the new book “American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner’s Legendary Rise. Published by Hachette Books, American Pharoah is written by the New York Times’ Joe Drape. 

It was an hour drive on I-64, and Baffert knew he was going to make it as soon as he learned that Silver Charm was coming home from Japan after a decade to taking up residence at Old Friends, a retirement farm for accomplished racehorses in Georgetown, Kentucky. He had two other horses there as well-Danthebluegrassman and Game On Dude. He wanted Jill and Bode to meet him as well. They were not yet a family when Silver Charm gave Baffert his first Kentucky Derby and launched his Hall of Fame career.

The Kentucky Derby is serious business to Kenny Troutt and the team at WinStar Farm.

Just how serious?

So serious that the farm, which bred 2003 winner Funny Cide and owned and bred 2010 winner Super Saver, has been represented in the race either as sole or co-owner with 16 starters in the last 10 editions.

Gary Stevens took a good hold of Mor Spirit into the backstretch, started to leave Jim Barnes and the pony behind as his workmate opened up a few lengths during his mount’s final serious breeze before Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Monday morning at Churchill Downs.

Stevens, sensing a slight aggressiveness from Mor Spirit, immediately let the rider on the workmate know things were going to get a bit more serious a little earlier than planned.

The Kentucky Derby is just a week away as racing goes through another transition this week with shifts in venues in Kentucky and New York. Opening Night at Churchill Downs and the first Saturday of the Belmont Park spring-summer meeting highlight this weeks Saturday Special presented by Pin Oak Stud, home of Alternation, Broken Vow and Cowboy Cal.

The National Museum of Racing rolled out the 2016 Hall of Fame induction class earlier this week – unfortunately the same day official word came out that the 2018 Breeders’ Cup would be at Churchill Downs – and talk about a stellar group.