American Pharoah wins Triple Crown

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Finally, after 37 years and 13 failed attempts, horse racing has its 12th Triple Crown winner.

American Pharoah joined the short list of thoroughbred immortals on Saturday evening, going wire-to-wire to capture the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes in front of a thunderous crowd of more than 90,000.

Despite not breaking well from the No. 5 post, the 3-5 favorite led the field of seven challengers for all but the first few strides of the 1-½ mile “Test of a Champion” after jockey Victor Espinoza steered him to the front. As America Pharoah came down the stretch, with Frosted being the only threat, he widened the margin and won going away by 5 ½ lengths in 2:26.65 – the quickest Belmont since 2001 and sixth-fastest of all-time. Frosted finished a clear second, and Keen Ice was third.

“In the first turn it was the best feeling I’ve ever had,” said Espinoza, who rode Triple Crown hopefuls California Chrome last year and War Emblem in 2002 to disappointing finishes (tied for fourth and eighth, respectively) in the Belmont.

“I came here with a lot of confidence, more confidence than the last two (Triple Crown attempts),” Espinoza added. “That trophy … it caused me a lot of stress but the third time was the charm.”

In becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, American Pharoah won his seventh consecutive start, including six Grade 1 races, after finishing fifth in his debut last August.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who three times previously had horses capture the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but fall short in the Belmont, said he had a good feeling as Pharoah headed for home. “I could tell by the eighth pole it was going to happen and all I did was just take in the crowd,” Baffert said. The crowd was just thundering and I was just enjoying the call and the crowd, the noise, and everything happening.”

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