Espinoza’s Take
Tim Wilkin talks to jockey Victor Espinoza:
Q: You hit American Pharoah with the whip 32 times during the race. There are those who have said that was a bit excessive. Your take?
A: No. I was doing it to encourage him, nothing else. I wanted to encourage him, keep him focused and keep him straight.
Also: Owner Ahmed Zayat is high on Pharoah in advance of the second leg of the Triple Crown. “I think he breathes different air than everyone else … he won the Derby, and I think he’ll be better in the Preakness.”
