(The great American Pharoah / All Photos by Holly M. Smith)

Editor’s Note:

There is absolutely no doubt.

The great American Pharoah captured the hearts and souls of the Thoroughbred racing world.

With every win, he won lots of money, but even more fans and fame. With each victory in the Triple Crown, his credentials soared and his name flew even higher. With the Triple Crown championship — after wins in the KY Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes — his game drew comparisons to the game’s greatest.

Secretariat.

Affirmed.

Spectacular Bid.

Name the greatest ever to step hoof to dirt.

Put American Pharoah in that class.

Suddenly, he stood alongside the greatest by virtue of his speed running past all the best of his generation.

Undoubtedly, American Pharoah is one of the best.

As in ever.

Then, with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, American Pharoah became the first — and to this date, the only — winner of the Grand Slam: The Derby; The Preakness; The Belmont; The Breeders’ Cup Classic.

By the time that American Pharoah was ready to go to stallion duty at Coolmore America in Versailles, KY., the colt’s accomplishments and credentials were legendary. And, he was still a 3-year-old.

Today, we will start our new feature of “Horse of the Day” with a “Horse of a Lifetime.”

Over the next few days, weeks and months ahead, until we can return to a full calendar of racing, we will be asking Holly to dive into her archives and give us some of her best looks of some of the best horses.

And, we start with a great.

We start with American Pharoah.

(The great American Pharoah at Churchill Downs for a morning work)

(The great American Pharoah at Churchill Downs before the Kentucky Derby)

(The great American Pharoah at Coolmore America)