Belmont Stakes Results 2015: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish

American Pharoah became the 12th Triple Crown champion and the first since Affirmed in 1978 on Saturday, racing to victory in the 147th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

The epic triumph saw American Pharoah meet the challenge posed by "The Test of the Champion" and surge to the finish to win by a margin of 5 1½ lengths, per Americas Best Racing.

American Pharoah showed off a rare blend of speed, stamina and strength on short rest to tackle the 1 ½-mile dirt track and win in wire-to-wire fashion. Frosted settled for second, while Keen Ice finished third to round out those in the field of eight who finished in the money.

Below are the results and payouts, headlined by the history-making victor who had 3-5 odds as the prohibitive favorite:

Horse	Win	Place	Show
American Pharoah	$3.50	$2.80	$2.50
Frosted	---	$3.50	$2.90
Keen Ice	---	---	$4.60

Starting from the fifth post position, American Pharoah needed to pick up steam early in order to have success but also not expend too much energy to break at the proper time down the final stretch.

Jockey Victor Espinoza didn't waste any time pushing Pharoah out to the lead from the beginning, vying for glory in dominant style. The bold strategy paid off, as no one got much closer than three-quarters of a length within the lead.

When the final few furlongs came, American Pharoah still had plenty in the tank to pull away from the rest of the field, despite the best efforts of Joel Rosario, who was in the irons for runner-up Frosted.

"Third time IS a charm," said Espinoza, per Breeders Cup.

Mike Salk of 710 ESPN weighed in on Pharoah's landmark win:

Place	No.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer
1	5	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert
2	6	Frosted	Joel Rosario	Kiaran McLaughlin
3	7	Keen Ice	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans
4	1	Mubtaahij	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Mike de Kock
5	4	Frammento	Mike Smith	Nick Zito
6	3	Madefromlucky	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher
7	2	Tale of Verve	Gary Stevens	Dallas Stewart
8	8	Materiality	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher

Espinoza had a real chance at the most prestigious achievement in horse racing last year aboard California Chrome but fell short. It's safe to say he has forgotten the disappointment of 2014.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert had three prior shots at the Triple Crown but didn't convert in any of them. Prior to Saturday's race, Baffert wrote a piece for the Players' Tribune and spoke of a change in mindset to create a different dynamic at Belmont Park this time around:

"

Our preparation of American Pharoah for the Belmont Stakes is no different than for any other race. Keeping him healthy and ready is our top priority. However, our mindset is completely different than in years past. Chasing the Triple Crown used to be a physically and mentally exhausting journey. Sure, there's the super high of winning the Preakness, but the weeks that follow are filled with interviews, appearance requests and responding to any other minor stories that could be drummed up. The pressure is unlike any other. This year, though, we're just enjoying it.

"

Baffert's words after the Belmont Stakes were fitting and confirmed the new attitude worked:

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted just how much of a privilege it is to be in the position to challenge for a Triple Crown—a place Baffert has been often:

It's almost impossible to win the Triple Crown in the modern era, as shown in the lengthy hiatus between distinguished champions. Fields are bigger, and there are only two weeks between the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, followed by a three-week gap until the Belmont Stakes.

Every horse from Saturday's race except for Tale of Verve didn't run in the Preakness, so they were fresh. That will only add to the legend of American Pharoah that's sure to grow over the years.

Triple Crown buzz will build at next year's Kentucky Derby, but in this age of instant information and constant distractions, we must cherish American Pharoah's unique achievement for the time being.

Although two horses in as many years have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, it's too much to expect such a development on an annual basis. Horse racing doesn't often garner the mainstream sports spotlight, but American Pharoah's breakthrough will hopefully receive the proper respect—no matter how he's viewed in relation to his rare Triple Crown peers.