Can American Pharoah Redeem His Bloodline?

After that tour de force performance, Frankel debated whether or not to go directly into the Kentucky Derby or to race him one more time in the Wood Memorial. Against his better judgment, Frankel started his budding young super horse in the 2003 Wood Memorial and Empire Maker won easily by a half-length on a sloppy track. The runner up that day was a New York bred gelding named Funny Cide who was all out to beat him to no avail. Many astute handicappers felt that Empire Maker was just the horse to break the long Triple Crown drought and he was installed as the shortest price favorite to win the Derby in more than a decade.

Unbeknownst to the general public at the time, Frankel discovered a bruise on Empire Maker’s right front foot after the Wood. Perhaps it was under control though, because on the Sunday before the Kentucky Derby, Empire Maker worked an impressive 6 furlongs at Churchill Downs in 1:12 3/5 seconds. The horse seemed sound but it was later speculated that the colt might have aggravated the injury in that work out.

Two days after the work, Empire Maker returned from a one mile jog and was noticeably a little “off”. Frankel asked Dr. Ken Reed to take a look at Empire Maker following the work and it was determined that the injury he had sustained in the Wood Memorial had indeed flared up a bit.  Since the bruise was underneath Empire Maker’s shoe, the farrier filed part of it away to relieve the pressure and to also allow the bruise to be soaked in an Epsom salt bath. With Empire Maker expected to be the heaviest Kentucky Derby favorite in over a decade, word quickly leaked of his injury.

Frankel, did everything in his power to play it down and assured the public that the horse was fine, but fears intensified when Empire Maker was walked around the shedrow and schooled in the paddock instead of going to the track in the days leading up to the big race. As Derby day grew closer, Frankel sent his horse out for a gallop.  Pleased with what he saw, the trainer announced to the anxious public that the horse would run in the derby.