He did it! American Pharoah, the three year-old bay colt, is the first American Triple Crown winner in thoroughbred racing since Affirmed turned the trick in 1978. The feat captured the attention of even less-than-casual horse racing fans, as the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel in the Triple Crown, attracted 22 million US television viewers.

American Pharoah is certainly deserving of all the attention; even his pal, Smokey, a six year-old gelding, grabbed some of the spotlight. Smokey is the Triple Crown winner’s companion who helped keep American Pharoah calm and happy in his quest for the Triple Crown. Jittery thoroughbreds (and their owners) have always relied on companion horses, goats and even pigs, to see them through stressful events and calm choppy waters. Trainers and handlers learned a long time ago that thoroughbreds need buddies who are less demanding then they are themselves.

Yet, companies everywhere are trying to build a roster of thoroughbred brands. As this issue went to press, Procter & Gamble was set to begin unloading its non-core brands, starting with the $12 billion sale of Cover Girl, Max Factor and Wella to Coty. The decision was made to appease Wall Street types who insisted that P&G had too many balls in the air and needed to concentrate on key categories. Maybe, but smaller brands provide a lot of intangibles for a company. They fill production lines, help new marketing managers learn the ropes, and may lead to new innovations that can spread throughout a corporation.

Yes, multibillion dollar brands deserve the lion’s share of a company’s attention, but there has to be room in the paddock, er, pipeline, for smaller, less capital-intense brands. After all, every successful thoroughbred needs a Charlie the pig.

Tom Branna
Editorial Director
[email protected]