American Pharoah at Haskell Invitational 2015: Finishing Time and Prize Money

American Pharoah was a prohibitive 1-9 pre-race favorite in the field of eight at the 2015 Haskell Invitational on Sunday, per the Courier-Journal's Jennie Rees. The Triple Crown winner lived up to the hype once more, racing to victory at Monmouth Park Racetrack with a final time of one minute, 47.80 seconds and a magnificent burst to the finish.

This marks American Pharoah's eighth consecutive win in his first race since the Belmont Stakes, where he became the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978.

ESPN Stats & Info referenced American Pharoah's place among Triple Crown achievers who elected to showcase their skills again:      

According to the Associated Press' Richard Rosenblatt, American Pharoah's winning share is $1.1 million from the $1.75 million purse. ESPN's Darren Rovell provided more context for American Pharoah's latest massive payday:    

Right out of the starting gates, jockey Victor Espinoza positioned American Pharoah well with a great break from post No. 4. Competitive Edge jumped out to the early lead with decorated rider Mike Smith in the irons.

Just before the top of the stretch, Espinoza didn't even have to do anything as he watched his horse go, passing Competitive Edge with ease, denying the latter's hopes of a wire-to-wire upset.

Competitive Edge ran out of gas over the final furlong or so, allowing Keen Ice to take second place and Upstart to sneak into third after starting on the rail. Below is a look at the top Haskell Invitational finishers and the payouts:

Horse	Win	Place	Show
American Pharoah	$2.20	$2.10	$2.10
Keen Ice	—	$4.80	$2.80
Upstart	—	—	$2.40

The odds for American Pharoah didn't create much in the way of earning a lucrative return on a wager, so bettors may have been better suited to simply take in the horse's excellence.

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports provided his thoughts on the Haskell Invitational:

NBC analyst and prolific jockey Jerry Bailey had high praise for American Pharoah afterward.

"This is about as impressive as I've ever seen a horse," said Bailey, per the Times Union's Mark Singelais.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert continues his own prowess in the Haskell, claiming his eighth winner overall and fifth in the past six years.

This triumph only bolsters American Pharoah's legendary legacy. In addition to pulling off the elusive Triple Crown trifecta on short rest, American Pharoah proved Sunday a long layoff wasn't going to make him rusty.

The ridiculously short odds American Pharoah had to win against a Grade 1 field shows how much respect he commands. It remains to be seen when American Pharoah will be in action next, but he's seemingly unstoppable wherever he goes.

One can assume American Pharoah will be seen at least at the Breeders' Cup Classic in late October. That's the most prestigious race not yet on his resume, and it'd be a treat to see American Pharoah turned loose on that big stage.