Santa Claus isn't coming to town.
Just American Pharoah.
Yet at Monmouth Park, racing's long awaited 12th Triple Crown winner has created the same kind of mirth that's most commonly associated with Old St. Nick.
There has been a sense of anticipation along the New Jersey Shore since the early days of July, when owner Ahmed Zayat told ESPN.com that American Pharoah would make his first post-Triple Crown start in the William Hill Haskell Invitational, and it has grown exponentially with each passing day.
On Saturday, the eve of American Pharoah's return to the races, the crowd inside Monmouth was miniscule compared to the horde of 60,000 or perhaps even 70,000 that is expected to rush through the track's turnstiles on Sunday. Yet it was a snap to tell that there was a regal presence at the Oceanside, New Jersey, facility.
Walk toward the front entrance at Monmouth and you'll see a sign about the "The William Hill Haskell featuring Triple Crown winner American Pharoah" with a large picture of the horse and jockey Victor Espinoza in Zayat Stables' now ubiquitous turquoise and gold colors.
Enter the track, stroll right past the Haskell sand castle, and there are large billboards with a picture of American Pharoah and a cutout so fans can have pictures taken with their face where Espinoza's belongs.
In the grandstand, people are wearing the day's giveaway in honor of the Triple Crown champion's trainer, Bob Baffert: a green and white baseball jersey with "BAFFERT" in block letters on the back above the No. 7 filled with the colors of the Hall of Fame trainers seven Haskell winners.
It's definitely not your typical Saturday at Monmouth.
"When they were talking about where American Pharoah would run, I was praying it would be Monmouth."
Unfortunately for Randazzo, due to family commitments she will not be at Monmouth on Sunday, and she had to be content to pick up some souvenirs of a Triple Crown winner's first appearance at the Oceanport, New Jersey, track a day in advance.
For other longtime fans of the game, the Haskell presented an opportunity for a grand weekend of racing.
Longtime horse racing fan Al Golden traveled from his home in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, to spend the weekend in New Jersey and once again revel in the rarefied air of a Triple Crown champion. When asked how long he has followed the sport, he said "since the 1978 Belmont Stakes" and then pointed to his forearm and said "I still have the goose bumps."
A regular at the Belmont Stakes, Golden said he was excited at the prospect of seeing American Pharoah once again, this time without any clouds of doubt hovering over the colt's status as a Triple Crown champion. To him, this leisurely Saturday at the races gave him a chance to buy souvenirs and wagering vouchers long before what should be a record turnout descends on Monmouth.
"American Pharoah has stirred up interest, without a doubt. People I know who aren't even fans of horse racing are coming tomorrow," Golden said. "I'm a true horse person. I love coming to the track. But a lot of people jump on the bandwagon, though you can't blame them."
With Monmouth expecting to shatter its attendance record of 53,683 set in 2003, it will surely be a stressful day for workers in every one of the track's departments. Yet for a wagering entity that usually takes a back seat to casino gaming, the prospect of having a Triple Crown champion on hand filled some of them with enthusiasm about what awaits on Sunday when the gates open.
For the past 19 years, 83-year-old Edward Thayer has manned the grandstand elevator at Monmouth, and for him the 2015 Haskell boasts an excitement level far above anything he has ever seen.
"There's a buzz all over the state," Thayer said. "The people, the horsemen, everyone's excited. The tempo is upbeat here, and the weather has been great. I'm a religious man and I prayed to God that the weather would be good, and he listened to me. It should be a great day that I'm truly looking forward to."
Just as any fan of horse racing would.
American Pharoah is coming to town.