The wait is over.
American Pharoah roared to victory in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to become the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown – and the first in 37 years.
The bay colt, owned by Zayat Stables and trained by Bob Baffert, broke well out of the gate and led the one-and-a-half-mile race from wire to wire, pulling away down the homestretch amid deafening cheers from a delirious crowd of more than 100,000 at Belmont Park, the venerable race course just outside New York city limits.
The finishing time of 2:26.65 was sixth-best in the 147-year history of the Belmont Stakes, while American Pharoah’s five-and-a-half-length win represents the third-largest margin in a Triple Crown clincher after Secretariat (31 lengths) and Count Fleet (25).
Frosted finished second, Keen Ice third and Mubtaahij fourth, followed by Frammento, Madefromlucky, Tale of Verve and Materiality.
Now the three-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile and Littleprincessemma enters a storied roll of horses to sweep America’s three most celebrated races, joining Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978).
The saying goes there’s a lot more heartbreak than glory in horse racing. Not Saturday.
American Pharoah, the grand-sire of 2003 Belmont winner Empire Maker, had taken the Kentucky Derby by one length in a fast track from the outside, coming from behind to win. Then he became only the second horse since 1961 to capture the Preakness Stakes from the No1 post, leading on the rail throughout in a muddy race that took place in a downpour. His versatility was already beyond dispute even before Saturday’s history-making run, which punctuated what has long been considered among the most difficult feats in all of sports: to win three prestigious races at varying lengths in three different states over a five-week span.
The victory, his fourth in eight weeks, ends the longest ever drought without a Triple Crown winner. American Pharoah, who went off as a prohibitive 3-5 favorite and paid $3.50, $2.80 and $2.50, becomes just the third Triple Crown winner to defeat seven opponents at Belmont. (None has ever beaten more.)
Since Affirmed outlasted Alydar to win the last Triple Crown in 1978, 13 horses had won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before falling at the final hurdle. Like when Secretariat snapped the 25-year drought in 1973, racing had been looking for a winner to prove it could still be done.
“Warming up he was just class, all class,” said jockey Victor Espinoza, finally a Triple Crown winner after falling short with War Emblem in 2002 and California Chrome last year. “He was just ready.”
Riding out of the No5 post in an eight-horse field, Espinoza’s strategy was to push American Pharoah to an early lead: the same tactics employed at Belmont by Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, the three most recent Triple Crown winners.
“When I saddled him in the paddock, I could tell and I told Victor that he was ready,” Baffert said. “I told him to go ahead and ride him with confidence and he did. He rode him with extreme confidence. I said to put him on the lead and go for it and if he doesn’t make it don’t worry about it, but he just kept rocking and rolling.”
When American Pharoah had settled along the rail with a one-length lead after a quarter-mile, Espinoza felt the victory was within reach.
“The first turn, that was the best feeling I’ve ever had,” he said during a post-race press conference.
He remained in front throughout the long run down the Belmont backstretch and extended his lead to three-quarters of a length coming around the long turn with Frosted, the Wood Memorial winner known for his tremendous closing ability, in quick pursuit.
But he’d extended it to two lengths as they arrived at the top of the stretch with the crowd in full throat, a coronation 37 years in the making within touching distance. There would be no final-reel heartbreak. He won going away.
The victory ended an even more tortuous Triple Crown hoodoo for Baffert, who had been thwarted in three previous Triple Crown tries, with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002).
“It’s very emotional,” Baffert said. “I’m thinking about my parents. I wish they were alive to see this. I was hoping it would happen. I didn’t know how good it was going to feel.
“Now I know.”
Ahmed Zayat, the Egyptian-born owner who bred American Pharoah and sold him before buying him back for $300,000, suggested the colt may race again this summer.
“Knowing Bob, knowing how competitive he is, we would like to enjoy him as long as we can,” Zayat said.
Added Baffert: “I just feel like I have a very special horse, and he’s the one that won. It wasn’t me, it was the horse.”
