Not only was it not surprising, it was expected.
The dust has barely settled on the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby and some East Coast writers are warning that American Pharoah might not be a great horse.
After all, he won by only a length over Firing Line.
Uh, he won. By a length over a colt that sold for $240,000 as a yearling.
He won despite drawing post No. 18 -- he ended up breaking from the 15 post after late scratches -- and racing wide almost the entire race.
He hooked Firing Line in the stretch and refused to lose.
Obviously that does not make him a Triple Crown winner, probably the most difficult goal to achieve in sports. Winning three races in five weeks -- including the grueling, often heartbreaking, 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes in the final leg -- has proven too much for too many great horses.
There is a simple solution and the dates of each race would not have to be changed. Just make the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes 1-mile races.
That's what most of the horses who compete in the Triple Crown races were bred for, and 3-year-olds are far from fully developed by the time they take on the almost impossible chore of three races in five weeks. It would help their quality of life and maybe allow them to stay in the game longer.
As for the doubting Dannys from the East Coast about American Pharoah, it is the same song and same verse that has been heard dozens of times since Seabiscuit flew from California to meet War Admiral, the 1937 Triple Crown champion, in a Nov. 1, 1938, match race at Pimlico in Baltimore.
Seabiscuit, a disappointment early in his career, won by 4 lengths and legend was set, as was the battle of East Coast vs. West Coast horse racing.
On the face of it, it is a silly argument because the vast majority of the horses are bred in Kentucky.
Fourteen of Saturday's 18 Derby entrants were bred in Kentucky, and for the record they took the top four spots. Danzig Moon, bred in Canada, finished fifth. There were three New York breds, who ran 11th, 17th and 18th.
It is easy to understand the frustration of some racing purists about what unfolded Saturday.
No, it was not like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, an overhyped, overpriced event that was more light than fight.
The Derby appeared to be a classic setup of speed horses. Five went to post with the potential to go for the lead, but instead of joining Dortmund, Firing Line and American Pharoah, they got left behind.
Frosted and Materiality both broke badly from the gate. As impossible as it seems that a jockey in the Kentucky Derby could have a brain freeze moments before the gates fly open, it happens too often.
It happened to Frosted and Materiality on Saturday. Frosted, who has the athletic ability to run on the lead or off the pace, broke 14th.
Materiality, the Florida Derby winner who earned a 110 speed figure in that race, highest of any Derby entrant, broke 13th.
Unable to establish any position before the first turn, they ran behind a wall. Frosted moved up to seventh after a mile but Materiality had dropped to 17th.
Frosted got up for fourth as the wall crumbled and horses tired. Materiality ran the fastest final quarter of all, passing 11 horses to finish sixth.
American Pharoah, who tracked long shot Bridget's Big Luvy for 6 furlongs in the Arkansas Derby before deciding to blow the field away, ran third most of the way in Louisville, 3 lengths back, relaxing and getting ready.
When he made his move, he jumped to first almost with ease, looked Firing Line in the eye and moved on, winning by a length, leaving him the only Triple Crown candidate in the world.
Sports on 05/06/2015