Mike Pence says the American horse Pharoah has bitten him

© provided by USA Today Sports Media Group LLC

The American Pharaoh has all these days. By becoming the first winner of the Triple Crown program in 37 years in 2015, the horse has secured a life of pampering and mating at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky.

He also enjoys visits from VIPs such as Vice President Mike Pence, who visited the horse on the farm in March 2018 while he was campaigning for Garland's "Andy" Barr, R-Kentucky. Except apparently, his interactions with the former governor of Indiana did not go so well, at least in the version of the events of Pence, by several reports.

On Friday, at a political retreat for House Republicans in Baltimore, Pence claimed that he had been so strong in the arms of the American Pharaoh that he had nearly collapsed. The purpose of the story was to propose a metaphor of Republicans' hopes of taking over the House next year.

"In our area of ​​activity, you will sometimes have difficulties, but you continue to fight," said Pence.

Pence said that he had been asked to seize Pharoah's reigns. It is at this point that the bite occurred. But the farm manager, Dermot Ryan, said this type of Pharoah behavior was not typical.

"If he had bitten someone, I would know it," Ryan told McClatchy DC.

Barr spokeswoman Jodi Whitaker said the congressman had not attended a biting incident, but that he was part of the Air Force Two chain when the vice president revealed a bruise.

American Pharoah was in the news earlier this week, aside from meeting with the veep, as a one – year – old filly was sold Wednesday for a record $ 8.2 million.

Related slide show: Strange sports injuries

This article originally appeared in the US TODAY: Mike Pence claims that the American horse Pharoah has bitten him