June 08--It seems history is trumping payouts when it comes to the Triple Crown.
American Pharoah secured his place in the pantheon of Sports history with his Triple Crown victory at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. The feat was 37 years in the making, and it appears most of the fans fortunate enough to be at Belmont Park are holding on to the $2 betting stubs as mementos.
Belmont Stakes spokesman John Durso Jr. told ESPN on Monday that most of the fans who bet $2 on American Pharoah did not cash in their tickets, worth $3.50 each, leaving behind $315,829. Of the 94,128 $2 bets made, 90,237 went unclaimed.
Still, it seems history does have a price tag to some, and it's worth more than anything that was being paid out in Elmont, N.Y., on Saturday. Some of the uncashed tickets have been put up for auction on EBay, and are drawing bids as high as $30. According to ESPN, one EBay user is selling 500 uncashed tickets.
Durso said bettors have until March 31, 2016, to cash their tickets.
American Pharoah became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Triple Crown. The 3-year-old colt won in spectacular fashion, pulling away on the home stretch for an uncontested and unquestioned victory.
The thoroughbred's quest for the Triple Crown started five weeks earlier when he won the Kentucky Derby and followed that up two weeks later by winning the Preakness Stakes.
