American Pharoah has cemented his misspelled name among horse racing royalty, claiming the Triple Crown with his win at the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, a feat not done since 1978.
Pharoah ended the Crown drought by sweeping the top three races, becoming only the 12th horse ever to do so.
American Pharoah, ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza, beat a tough field of seven thoroughbreds despite the many factors opposing the 3-year-old colt’s coronation.
American Pharoah did not come out of the gate well, but quickly took the lead in first quarter. Trailing American Pharoah for most of the race was Materiality, before Mubtaahij and Frosted made plays for second. But no one could pass American Pharoah, who made history.
While he was a heavy favorite heading into the race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, American Pharoah had plenty going against him and his Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. For one, Pharoah was competing with far less rest than his competitors, as the only horse at Belmont who ran in the other two Triple Crown races, the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. Then there is the length of the Belmont track, which can easily leave horses running on empty before the finish line. Belmont is a 1 1/2-mile race, while the Derby is 1¼ miles and the Preakness 1 3/16 miles. For that reason, the final race in Triple Crown series is called the “test of the champion.”
Pharoah secured his Crown over the course of five weeks, winning the Kentucky Derby on May 2 and then the Preakness on May 16 on a rain-drenched track.
Along with the Crown, Pharoah’s win comes with a $800,000 winning. While it was Pharoah’s first attempt at the holy grail of racing, it was Baffert’s fourth, and jockey Espinoza’s third. “I've been through it three times," Baffert said. "I've been really lucky for three times, and I got beat by an inch one time.”
American Pharoah is owned by Ahmed Zagat, originally of Egypt, who became a successful businessman after moving to the U.S. at age 18.
With the win, Ahmet Zayat, American Pharoah's owner, takes home a cool $800,000 (with Espinoza getting $80,000 of that amount, according to NJ.com). Here's the full breakdown:
First: $800,000
Second: $280,000
Third: $150,000
Fourth: $100,000
Fifth: $60,000
Sixth: $45,000
Seventh: $35,000
Eighth: $30,000
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
