American Pharoah Jockey Victor Espinoza Donates Belmont Stakes Money to Charity

After American Pharoah captured the Triple Crown by winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes on Saturday, the horse's jockey, Victor Espinoza, and trainer are putting their winnings to good use.

According to Steve Myrick of the Courier-Journal, Bob and Jill Baffert and Espinoza will be donating their prize money from the Belmont Stakes.

The Bafferts will be donating $50,000 each to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, the California Retirement Management Account (an organization created to raise money for retired California racehorses) and Old Friends Farm (a thoroughbred retirement facility). Espinoza will be donating his winnings to City of Hope, a California-based clinical research center.

By donating their winnings, Espinoza and Baffert are making sure the money goes to a worthy cause that will help other people and horses.

"I want to share this, I want to make sure that those horses that we really love, we have to take care of them," Baffert said, per Myrick. "Win, lose, or draw, I was going to do it."

The notoriety that comes with being the trainer and jockey of a Triple Crown-winning horse is rewarding enough. The money is secondary in this case. Knowing they had a chance to make a difference, Espinoza and the Bafferts were more than happy to part with their earnings.

[h/t SB Nation]