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It took 37 years but horse racing finally crowned its 12th Triple Crown winner Saturday when American Pharoah toyed with seven overmatched rivals in the Belmont Stakes. The smooth win, which more resembled a recital than a horse race, secured American Pharoah’s well-deserved place in the record books among some of the thoroughbred industry’s most illustrious names.
Winning the Triple Crown is a rare feat in the sports world. It is difficult, and it’s supposed to be, but American Pharoah proved it’s not impossible. Becoming the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to sweep all three races, American Pharoah, following a hard-earned victory in the Kentucky Derby, simply dominated his competition in the series’ final two legs. It wasn’t even close.
American Pharoah displayed grittiness in defeating 17 others in the Kentucky Derby. It may not have been his best effort, but he demonstrated heart and guts in fighting bravely to get to the wire first at Churchill Downs. He returned two weeks later and splashed to victory as the best over a rain-soaked track at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland.
He proved even stronger in the 1.5-mile Belmont Stakes, known as the “Test of a Champion.” American Pharoah faced fresher opponents in the Belmont, but turned them all away with relative ease. His final time of 2:26.65 was the fastest since 2001, and the second-fastest for a Triple Crown winner behind only the legendary Secretariat, who won the 1973 Belmont Stakes in 2:24 while winning by 31 lengths in the single most impressive horse race of all time.
With history on the line in the Belmont Stakes, American Pharoah once again proved uncatchable. The recipient of another fine ride by jockey Victor Espinoza (first hispanic jockey to win the Triple Crown), American Pharoah set a pedestrian pace in the early stages, hit the far turn well in hand and simply ran away and hid from the field when asked for his best in the stretch. The official winning margin was 5 ½ lengths. It could have been more.
The well-muscled colt looked every bit a Triple Crown champion as the eight entrants paraded to the starting gate. With alert eyes and a glistening coat, American Pharoah never turned a hair. Despite deep roars from a thundering sell-out crowd, Zayat Stables’ prized 3-year-old kept his composure and entered post position No. 5 as the prohibitive 3-5 favorite for Hall-of-Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Typically, favorites don’t fare well in the Belmont Stakes, but American Pharoah didn’t look like a horse with the weight of the horse racing world on his shoulders. He ran to his looks.
The 11 previous Triple Crown winners each owned a win at Belmont Park prior to starting in the Belmont Stakes. American Pharoah made his first start over the unfamiliar terrain at the Elmont, New York oval on Saturday. It mattered little to this worthy champion.
With yet another commanding performance, American Pharoah ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought. His facile Belmont Stakes triumph turned decades of disappointment into jubilation for long-suffering racing fans.Thirty-seven years between celebrations is a long time, and fans and thoroughbred industry professionals, alike, spent much of Saturday evening singing American Pharoah’s praises on social media. Difference of opinion is what drives horse racing, but American Pharoah’s accomplishment has united horse racing enthusiasts from all corners. That’s as rare as Triple Crown winners.
American Pharoah joins a select group of Triple Crown champions: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978).
Welcome to the exclusive club American Pharoah. You earned it.
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