NYRA/Chelsea Durand

As the drought stretched on, as years passed and horse racing faded in popularity, it became a commonplace to hear that the sport “needed a Triple Crown winner”.

A horse that could win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont would invigorate the sport, some thought. It would bring much-needed attention from casual fans, whose imaginations and attention would be captured by horse racing’s beauty and excitement, and maybe those people would then become customers, attending the races, watching on television, and generating the betting revenue essential to the sport’s survival.

A year after the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, has there been a “Pharoah effect”? Did the rapture that accompanied his win last June and subsequent campaign carry over after his retirement?

Continue reading at The Guardian…