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Keen Ice (7), with jockey Javier Castellano, moves past Triple Crown champion United states Pharoah, with Victor Espinoza, to win the Travers Stakes.(Photo: Hans Pennink, AP)

American Pharoah, the very first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, had been overtaken by Keen Ice and lost in $1.6 million Travers Stakes, race's Mid-summer Derby, at sold-out Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.

Keen Ice, trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Javier Castellano, roared last Pharoah along the stretch and stunned the tiring Triple Crown champion to win by three quarters of a size.

It absolutely was only the 2nd career win for Keen Ice, who had been 2nd to American Pharoah in Haskell Invitational a month ago. Castellano features obtained the Travers a record five times.

Us Pharoah had claimed eight successive races getting into the Travers. The 1-5 favorite to win his ninth in a row completed 2nd and Frosted ended up being 3rd. The attendance ended up being capped at 50, 000.

Utilizing the upset, the Travers solidified its reputation since the graveyard of favorites. Only one of this four Triple Crown champions that went indeed there immediately following, Whirlaway in 1941, has won the competition.

"I feel detrimental to the horse, getting beat like this, " Pharoah's instructor, Bob Baffert, stated. "only listening to (jockey) Victor's (Espinoza) commentary, you'll simply tell he wasn't on his A-game today.

"He tried difficult, he appeared to be he had been done method early and then he kept battling on. The winner ran a great battle. Pharoah, he dug in these days...he don't bring their A-game."

Coming into the battle, there was issues towards travel American Pharoah has-been afflicted by because the beginning of their existing eight-race winning streak. While winning those events American Pharoah has flown over 18, 000 miles.

"which is some mileage, in which he's had hard events, " Baffert stated. "He went along to Arkansas two times. Then he visited Kentucky, Maryland, back once again to Kentucky, New York, to Kentucky, to California. Jersey, back again to California back ... after all ... That you do not see a horse do that. You need to be truly unique to accomplish this."

Expected if United states Pharoah came into the battle 100per cent, Baffert said, "you will never know the way the horse is experiencing until you operate him. He traveled and he delivered really, but i really could tell by Victor's body gestures he ended up being done within 1 / 2 mile pole and he kept trying. That is the just reason he ran next, it's because he's such a fantastic horse nevertheless champion ran a truly great competition."

Us Pharoah, whom romped within the $1.75 million Haskell at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., had developed a spectacle since reaching Saratoga on Thursday, as horsemen and fans desired to stay in the current presence of greatness. Baffert had been unsure what American Pharoah's next move will be.

"I don't know, i desired to observe how taxing this battle was on him, " he stated. "that is some thing we must stay and determine, I'm not necessarily familiar with being when you look at the position with him, so it is sort of challenging consume now."

Only four of this first 11 Triple Crown champions went at Saratoga after the Belmont. Whirlaway is the just horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Travers, though Affirmed was disqualified from very first to second within the 1978 Travers. Gallant Fox got beat by 100-1 Jim Dandy in 1930. Secretariat lost Saratoga's 1973 Whitney on unheralded Onion.

Coincidentally, no Travers Stakes winner has ever before claimed the Breeders' Cup Timeless. Eight of the final 10 Travers are claimed by a horse whose previous race is at Saratoga.

United states Pharoah brought more money into the industry. While the Haskell bag went from $1 million to $1.75 million, the Travers jumped from $1.25 million. The competition paid through eighth destination, which can be $45, 000.