A year after American Pharoah, U.S. horse racing faces uneasy future

Javier Castellano aboard Cathryn Sophia (12) and the rest of the field race during the 2016 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - A year after American Pharoah became the first horse since 1978 to win the Triple Crown, U.S. thoroughbred racing officials have struggled to build on that excitement or agree on whether the sport needs a commissioner to rein in its disparate players.

Saturday's running of the 142nd Kentucky Derby, the most famous race in America and the first in the Triple Crown series of three races, puts horse racing at the centre of attention for many sports fans, a place it only rarely occupies.