American Pharoah crowned in Belmont Stakes!

American Pharoah races into the history books as the 12th Triple Crown winner (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) romped an easy winner of the 147th
running of the $1.5 million

Belmont S. (G1) on Saturday to end a 37-year drought and become the 12th
Triple Crown winner.

The Zayat Stables homebred was 5 1/2 lengths clear of his closest rival on
the wire while finishing 1 1/2 miles over the fast Belmont Park dirt in 2:26.65.

“What a feeling,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “It’s probably going to take a
few days to sink in. I had my kids here and they got to enjoy it. This is going
to be the moment, we’ll never forget this.

“The crowd was just thundering and I was just enjoying the call and the
crowd, the noise, and everything happening. Thirty-seven years we’ve waited for
this but, you know what, this little horse he deserves it. He’s just a great
horse. He’s a dream come true. I don’t know if I’ll ever have another horse like
that.”

American Pharoah’s connections joyfully hold aloft both the Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown trophies (Horsephotos.com)

That full brother’s name: Irish Pharaoh.

American Pharaoh passed through the sales ring himself, but was a buyback at
$300,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected yearling.

“I don’t think it sunk in yet,” Zayat said. “He looked unbelievably focused.
Honest. Relaxed. Full of energy. He moves like a Ferrari, he runs like Ferrari.
At this juncture it’s about defining the greatness of American Pharoah.

“We all wanted it,” he admitted. “We wanted it for the sport. So I’m happy
for the horse, for the fans. This is not about none of us, this is about
American Pharoah and what this means to our beautiful sport.”

A sold-out, jammed-packed crowd brought down the rafters as American Pharoah crossed under the finish line (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com)

Frosted (Tapit), who saved ground with a rail trip sitting directly behind
American Pharoah, angled out entering the stretch and attempted to make a run at
the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner. That gray colt could never
make up any ground, though, as American Pharoah finally kicked into gear and
began pulling away to the roar of the sold-out crowd packing Belmont Park’s
stands.

The bay colt easily proved best when crossing under the line
to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“When I saddled him in the paddock, I told Victor that he was ready. Go ahead
and ride him with confidence and he did,” Baffert said. “That’s the only way,
ride him with extreme confidence, put him on the lead, go for it. If he doesn’t
make it, don’t worry about it, we tried. But he just kept on rocking and
rolling.”

A beaming Espinoza waved to the crowd following American Pharoah’s Belmont Stakes score (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

“I was so concentrated on this horse (in the stretch). I’ve been here three
times. Turning for home, this has not happened yet, I wanted to cross the wire.
I just grabbed the reins and he just took off. It’s just an amazing feeling that
you have when you’re 20 yards from the wire and you’re like three or four
lengths in front. At the wire I was like, ‘I cannot believe I did it.'”

Both Baffert and Espinoza are passing on their good fortunes. Espinoza is
donating all of his earnings from the winner’s share to the City of Hope, a
cancer treatment and research hospital in Southern California. Baffert and his
wife, Jill, are donating $50,000 each to four charities: the Thoroughbred
Aftercare Alliance, CARMA of California, Old Friends and the Permanently
Disabled Jockeys Fund.

American Pharoah was sent off the heavy 3-4 favorite and paid $3.50 for the
win. Frosted was second by two lengths over Keen Ice (Curlin), while Mubtaahij (Dubawi)
just missed the top three when a neck farther back in fourth. Frammento
(Midshipman), the 21-1 longshot, came next and was followed under the wire by
Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky), Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati) and Materiality.

American Pharoah has now earned $4,530,300 from a 8-7-0-0 career line. The
bay colt only loss came in his career debut over Del Mar’s synthetic Polytrack
last August 9, when he ran fifth. He quickly made up for that with a
front-running victory in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) next out and thus began his
quest for Triple Crown glory.

American Pharoah will ship back to Churchill Downs (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos)

That may have been a portend of another record that would fall, but first
American Pharoah had to begin his three-year-old campaign. He kicked off 2015 in
style, romping in the sloppy Rebel S. (G2) over a sealed track at Oaklawn Park
by 6 1/4 lengths, then proved just as dominant on Oaklawn’s fast dirt with an
eight-length tour de force in the Arkansas Derby (G1).

Those were the only two races he had this year leading up to the Kentucky
Derby, and was in tip-top shape in the Run for Roses. The Kentucky-bred bay saw
his smallest margin of victory to date when scoring by a length, but returned
with vengeance two weeks later at Pimlico to take the Preakness Stakes by seven
lengths.

The past three weeks have been all Pharoah, all the time as excitement built
for his run at history in the Belmont. Track officials announced early a cap of
90,000 for the attendance, ensuring a sell-out of all tickets to the main event,
which would be Baffert fourth attempt at Triple Crown glory and Espinoza’s
third.

It all came together in a beautiful New York moment as American Pharoah
romped home the 12th Triple Crown winner.

Zayat said American Pharoah will likely run again this year, but stud rights
to the colt have already been sold to Coolmore and he’ll probably be retired at
the end of the season.