American Triple Crown hero American Pharoah could now be retired after his shock defeat in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.
A capacity attendance of 50,000 racegoers were stunned into silence as Bob Baffert's colt, ridden by Victor Espinoza, could only finish second behind Keen Ice in the Grade One over a mile and a quarter.
American Pharoah had been expected to march on to the Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland in October, but he could now take up stallion duties at Ashford Stud, near Lexington, earlier than anticipated.
Owner Ahmed Zayat, who has sold the horse's breeding rights to Coolmore but retains ownership and decision-making through 2015, said: "Have I pushed the envelope too much?
"He was happy and he's special and he is the Triple Crown winner.
"Then you have to ask yourself, 'Is the show over? Is it time?'
"My gut feeling right now, without being outspoken, is to retire him.
"If this horse is one percent not the American Pharoah that we cherish, the show's over."
Baffert is keen to take stock of the situation before contemplating his next month.
He said: "I wanted to see how taxing this race was on him.
"This is something we have to sit and figure out. I'm not really used to being in the position with him, so it's sort of hard to digest right now.
"You never know how the horse is feeling until you run him.
"He travelled and he shipped well, but I could tell by Victor's body language that he was done at the half-mile pole and he kept trying.
"That's the only reason he ran second - it's because he's such a great horse.
"The winner ran a really great race.
"He won the Triple Crown and then he lost a race at Saratoga that he didn't have to run. He made people care about racing and then he raced some more. He doesn't owe us anything."
Espinoza felt something was amiss with American Pharoah.
He said: "He was running pretty comfortable, but not like he used to. By the half-mile pole I knew I was in trouble."
Keen Ice's trainer Dale Romans felt his inmate had the Travers in safe-keeping a long way from home.
He said: "Javier (Castellano) rode him perfect.
"Turning for home you could tell he was going to get him (American Pharoah)."
