Pharoah beaten in Travers Stakes Triple Crown winner American Pharoah suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Keen Ice in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Bob Baffert's record-breaking three-year-old failed in his bid to take his winning streak to nine when he was collared in the last 50 yards by a horse he had beaten in all three Classics. American Pharoah tried to make all the running under Victor Espinoza over the mile and a quarter but had to work hard to shake off Frosted who briefly headed him. After battling back to retake the lead, the long odds-on shot had nothing left when Javier Castellano brought the Dale Romans-trained Keen Ice from a long way back to snatch the spoils close home. American Pharoah joined the list of top performers, including Man O'War, Gallant Fox and Secretariat, to be beaten at the New York course dubbed the 'graveyard of champions'. There was joy for Europe in one of the other Grade One contests when the Andre Fabre-trained Flintshire ran out an impressive winner of the Sword Dancer Stakes in the hands of Vincent Cheminaud. Khalid Abdullah's seasoned Group One performer enjoyed a smooth run on the near rail to lead just before the home turn. The five-year-old quickly settled the issue to win from Red Rifle, with Twilight Escape third.
