American Pharoah is World's Best

Following a unanimous vote to be named Eclipse Horse of the Year in his home country, American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) gained worldwide recognition on Tuesday when named Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2015 at a ceremony in central London.

As the name suggests, the rankings are a truly global affair and that was reflected by the fact that horses from America, England, France and Hong Kong filled the top six places on the leader board. With his rating of 134, achieved when signing off his magnificent career with a facile victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Ahmed Zayat's homebred Triple Crown winner was ranked just one pound below the mighty Cigar to become the second highest-rated American-based horse of all time. He was the first U.S.-bred to top the world rankings since Curlin (Smart Strike) in 2008.

'Team American Pharoah' appeared to be still on cloud nine after the weekend's Eclipse Awards. Ahmed Zayat, accompanied by his family, the Baffert family and Victor Espinoza, said on accepting the award from Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing, Juan-Carlos Capelli, “Not only was American Pharoah brilliant on the racetrack, he connected with everyone in America. We waited 37 years for a horse like him; he was the people's horse. Not only to win the Triple Crown but now to be internationally recognised, this is just unreal. What a privilege. We are truly humbled by this horse.”

Trainer Bob Baffert, making his first visit to the UK, added, “Last year was a fantastic year for racehorses so to be the best in the world is quite something. There was no 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' with this horse. He checked every box and got better and better as the year went on. He was so special.”

In a glorious year for the Classic generation and also for owner-breeders, Anthony Oppenheimer's Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) was rated second-best on 130–a mark achieved in both the G1 Investec Derby and G1 Coral-Eclipse S.–making the John Gosden-trained colt the top of all European gallopers in 2015. Oppenheimer said, “These awards are fantastic and really appreciated by all in the horse world. To Golden Horn and all the people who looked after him I say a big thank you. He's now settling into his new home at Darley and he's in an even bigger box than Dubawi, who is earning a bit more than him at the moment.”

Sharing third place in the rankings on 126 was France's darling, the dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), and the late Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}), the five-time Grade I winner who succumbed to colic in December.

An emotional Janet Rome travelled to London on behalf of her husband Jim to accept Shared Belief's award, and said, “Thank you for honouring and celebrating the life of Shared Belief, the little gelding who made us all think that anything was possible. We're all heartbroken to have lost this amazing warrior. We'll never get over it but in time we will get beyond it.”

The globe-trotting older horses Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) and Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) were ranked in equal fifth place, with the Hong Kong star Able Friend gaining a mark of 125 in both the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup and the Premier Bowl H., while Solow's high mark was posted in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan.

The top-rated stayer of 2015 was G1 Irish St Leger winner Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) on 124. The BHA's Head of Handicapping Phil Smith commented, “Very rarely do we get stayers rated above 120 but this year we have two and they are both 3-year-olds.”

Order Of St George is the highest-rated stayer ever trained by Aidan O'Brien–ranked above even the multiple Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats who peaked at 122–while the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) was rated 120.

A rating of 123 for Sheikh Hamdan's champion sprinter Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was “a glowing vindication for the creation of the Coronation Cup,” according to handicapper Dominic Gardiner-Hill. He added, “He was one of the highlights of the season. To have a 3-year-old sprinter of that quality was great to see. He carried all before him and is the highest rated 3-year-old sprinter since his sire Oasis Dream in 2003.”

Nigel Gray, Head of Handicapping and Race Planning for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, singled out a horse who was ranked joint-27th in the world in 2015 but has become a household name for most racing fans–the veteran Cirrus Des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}). He said, “Cirrus–and I'm sure he wouldn't mind me calling him by his first name–has been involved in these rankings for 3-year-olds and up for the last seven years and he is a tremendous credit to his connections.”

Cirrus Des Aigles gained a mark of 121 for his victory in the G1 Prix Ganay, equal to such as that posted by Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) when winning the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) when second to Shared Belief in the San Antonio Invitational.

Decided upon by a team of international handicappers, the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings are complied from individual performances by horses in Group/Grade 1 races around the world. As well as equine awards, the Longines ceremony included an accolade for the world's best horse race, which is judged from the average handicap ratings in each race over the last three years. The 2015 award went the way of Longchamp's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with the last three fields having achieved an average mark of 125.75, just ahead of the Breeders' Cup Classic on 124.33.

The European Two-Year-Old Classifications were also revealed on Tuesday, with the Aidan O'Brien-trained three-time Group 1 winner Air Force Blue (War Front) named as the champion juvenile of 2015. The last time his mark of 124 was awarded to a 2-year-old was for subsequent Classic winner Dawn Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire} in 2012, and only New Approach (Ire), Frankel (GB) and Dream Ahead have bettered that mark with a rating of 126.

Second-best, and the top juvenile in Britain, was Al Shaqab Racing's Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), his victories in the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. earning him a mark of 121.

The champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 was also trained at Ballydoyle. In being awarded a rating of 120, Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) became the first to exceed 119 since Six Perfections (Fr) in 2002.

“Minding put up the best performance in the G1 Dubai Fillies' Mile in the last 25 years,” said BHA Senior Handicapper Matthew Tester. “She is a very worthy favourite for the 1000 Guineas.”

BAFFERT: 'I WAS HIS TRAINER BUT ALSO HIS FAN'

Bob Baffert admits he's not a great fan of travelling, but even in retirement American Pharoah continues to take his trainer to places he never dreamed of going, including his first-ever visit to England. Fresh from being lauded by his countrymen at the Eclipse Awards in Florida, Baffert, with wife Jill and son Bode, braved subzero temperatures in the capital to attend the Longines World's Best Racehorse Ceremony.

“It's an honour, not only to be the best horse in the world, but it's incredible to be named ahead of all these great horses like Shared Belief, Treve and Golden Horn,” he said. “I've never been to London, and when we got here I was so impressed with the city. Jill, Bode and I were so excited. We've only seen a little bit of the city and we're not going to be here for long but it's almost like being in Disney World. You have all these beautiful castles– I've only really seen them on the show The Tudors!”

Despite the showering of awards this week, Baffert confessed to a little sadness at the culmination of the racing career of the horse who ended America's long wait for a Triple Crown Winner. He reflected, “There was a little bit of down time [after the Breeders' Cup]. It was sort of sad that he wasn't around. We were used to having people there every day, coming to see him, so when he left it was like sending your child away to school for the next 20 years. I kept wondering, 'Is he okay, does he miss us?' We became so attached to him and there was a lot of emptiness when we got back.”

He added, “When they turned for home in the Breeders' Cup there was joy and also some sadness as I knew it was the last time. I think the thing I really miss the most about him is that I don't get to see him breeze any more. Watching him breeze was so special as he did things other horses didn't.

“He was such a kind animal–I showed him to everybody–so many people touched that horse, it was incredible. I wanted to share him with people. I was his trainer but I was also his fan.”