AMERICAN Pharoah may have stumbled at the start, but he never looked back, galloping gate-to-wire to win the eight and a half furlong $750,000 Grade 2 Rebel Stakes by six and a quarter lengths in his 2015 debut last Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

The Eclipse Champion two-year-old male made a long-awaited return to the races on a rainy Arkansas day. Although sent off the 2/5 favourite, many still doubted whether he would live up to his much-hyped juvenile form and win his three-year-old debut over a track rated ‘sloppy’.

The Pioneerof the Nile colt quickly silenced all critics, galloping on to a resounding victory with ears pricked over distant runner-up Madefromlucky, despite twisting his right front shoe upon leaving the gate under jockey Victor Espinoza.

“He did it exactly the way you want it; just perfect,” commented his owner Ahmed Zayat. “I’m just tickled pink that he’s back, he’s healthy, and he showed us that he can relax and enjoy very, very hard circumstances.

“This was not ideal. The race on paper was his to lose... He hasn’t run since last September. But a horse coming off an injury, not running in five months, and shipping in, you’re asking a lot of him. The instructions to Victor (were) to set slow fractions and never ask him, just let him be where he is. And we got what we (wanted). I am so happy to have him back.”

American Pharoah, who had never started outside of California, hadn’t raced since a victory in the Grade 1 Front Runner Stakes on September 27th at Santa Anita Park, a win he earned off a maiden-breaking score at second asking in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on 3rd September. The colt was named two-year-old champion at the end of the season despite missing the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

“He was very impressive,” Espinoza said. “He’s an amazing horse. The first time I rode him, Bob said ‘He’s the real deal.’ Bob’s a Hall of Famer, so he knows. Bob was confident, so that made me confident.”

“I was a little bit concerned at the break, because Victor said he moved right before they broke... he stumbled and he grabbed himself,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who has now won five of the past six runnings of the Rebel. “I just talked to (assistant trainer) Jimmy (Barnes) and I guess he sprung the right shoe pretty well, he noticed it when he came back. He was running with a shoe bent the whole way around there, which just goes to show you what kind of a horse he is.”

The Rebel gave American Pharoah 50 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby and upped his total to 60 points, which assures him a place in the 20-horse starting gate on the first Saturday in May.

American Pharoah now ranks fifth on the Derby leaderboard, while Zayat Stables’ New York-based El Kabeir tops the list with 75 points for trainer John Terranova II. The Zayats also have Mr Z in training with D. Wayne Lukas at 14th on the list with 14 points. Baffert conditions undefeated Dortmund as well, who ranks third on the list with 70 points for owner Kaleem Shah.

“I’m just glad to get this one out of the way. We’ve got him back. I feel fortunate to have two really top horses in him and Dortmund,” the trainer said. There is a good chance (American Pharoah) might be back for the Arkansas Derby (April 11th) with him.”