Triple Crown 2015: Highlights and Reaction from American Pharoah's Triumph
American Pharoah managed to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years on Saturday, easily winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes after taking first in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.
The colt took an early lead after a solid jump from the gate, steadied himself in the turn and dictated the pace on the long Belmont track.
Coming out of the final turn, jockey Victor Espinoza spurred him on, but American Pharoah needed very little guidance, as you can see in the video highlights of the race:
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Mubtaahij led the pack for the bulk of the race, Keen Ice overtook the Irish-bred colt and Frosted did well to stay within distance of American Pharoah, but none of the other favourites came even close to the eventual winner.
| 1 | 5 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | 2:26.65 | $800,000 |
| 2 | 6 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | 5 1/2 | $280,000 |
| 3 | 7 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | 7 1/2 | $150,000 |
| 4 | 1 | Mubtaahij | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 7 3/4 | $100,000 |
| 5 | 4 | Frammento | Mike Smith | 16 1/4 | $60,000 |
| 6 | 3 | Madefromlucky | Javier Castellano | 18 3/4 | $45,000 |
| 7 | 2 | Tale of Verve | Gary Stevens | 21 1/2 | $35,000 |
| 8 | 8 | Materiality | John Velazquez | 23 1/4 | $30,000 |
As ESPN's Ian O'Connor put it, American Pharoah did the hard work, and unlike his performance at the Kentucky Derby, Espinoza needed to do very little in the final straight.
He was in awe of the horse's magnificent performance after the race, and he showed his affection after the race, via ESPN:
American Pharoah's win didn't come as a major surprise, but few will have expected Espinoza to steer him straight into the lead given the length of the track at Belmont.
Of course, the jockey missed out on the Triple Crown last year, as a foot injury he suffered during a frantic and crowded start may have contributed to California Chrome's failure to win at Belmont in 2014, per USA Today's Gary Mihoces.
Perhaps Espinoza didn't want a repeat of such a scenario, and in hindsight, he certainly made the right decision.
Joel Rosario, who rode Frosted into second place, was more than happy with the performance of his horse, as he told America's Best Racing:
Di de Kock, a member of Mubtaahij's racing team, had a similar message when talking about her colt:
Neither has any reason to be ashamed after Saturday's performances. It was always going to take a special horse to end the Triple Crown drought, and American Pharoah proved his talent in a big way. Looking back on the 2015 Triple Crown in its entirety, it's clear the rest of the field always ran for second place.
Bleacher Report took a look at American Pharoah and how he stacks up against Triple Crown winners of the past, before speculating about his future:
Like most top racing horses in this day and age, American Pharoah's racing days are probably as good as over. There's tremendous value in breeding, and the colt has intriguing bloodlines.
Pioneerof the Nile, his sire, placed second in the 2009 Kentucky Derby, and his stud fee will see a sharp increase after American Pharoah's success. According to Forbes (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter), many will expect American Pharoah to produce similarly successful offspring:
Fans can only hope American Pharoah's racing days aren't over, as the colt would be a major attraction in any race he would enter as a four-year-old. Yahoo's Pat Forde was giddy with excitement after the conclusion of the Belmont Stakes, and the racing world will be desperate for an encore:
Whether said encore arrives or not, American Pharoah has already cemented his place in horse racing history. In an era where horses are bred to be successful over the short distance, the colt showed incredible stamina to go with a turn of speed we haven't seen in years.
One thing is certain: Racing fans across the globe will be hopeful the next Triple Crown winner doesn't take as long to emerge.
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