American Pharoah wins Triple Crown in Belmont Stakes

June 6, 2015 by ED MCNAMARA / ed.mcnamara@newsday.com

The long wait is over. Racing finally has its 12th Triple Crown hero.

American Pharoah led from the gate and defeated Frosted by 5 1/2 lengths late Saturday afternoon in the 147th Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to sweep the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the "Test of the Champion" since Affirmed in 1978.

He led wire to wire and ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.65 at Belmont Park in his seventh consecutive victory, all in stakes, for trainer Bob Baffert and owner-breeder Ahmed Zayat. American Pharoad paid $3.50, the shortest-priced Belmont winner and its first successful favorite since Afleet Alex in 2005.

"Wow, wow," jockey Victor Espinoza, 43, said after the race.

It was the record fourth time Baffert tried for the elusive Crown, after being denied with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002). Espinoza lost on War Emblem and on California Chrome last year.

"I just feel like I have a very special horse," Baffert said.

Keen Ice finished third.

Pharoah had fueled hope he was good enough to claim the most coveted trophy in sports. His seven-length runaway in the Preakness guaranteed he would be odds-on in the Belmont, and many people bought win tickets on him that they intended to save rather than cash at very short odds.

"In the first turn," Espinosa said about when he knew American Pharoah would win the race.

The long-striding bay son of Pioneerof the Nile has become a cash colt for Zayat. Besides earning more than $3.7 million entering the Belmont, the recent sale of his breeding rights to Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, reportedly was worth at least $22 million and perhaps as much as $30 million.

Earlier this week, Zayat spoke of wanting to race Pharoah through his 3-year-old season. When the syndication deal was completed last month, Zayat said he would be in total control of the remainder of the horse's racing career, although he said it was "unlikely" he would run next year.

"A sport without any stars is not a sport," said Zayat, a 52-year-old entrepreneur born in Egypt and educated in the United States. "We'll race him as long as he remains happy, healthy and we can do it. The horse comes first."

Zayat's 23-year-old son, Justin, serves as his racing manager. On Tuesday, shortly before the colt arrived at Belmont after a flight from Kentucky, Ahmed Zayat spoke of American Pharoah as if he were his fifth child.

"As the breeder of this horse, seeing him since he was born," he said, "it's like looking at your son playing on a team that's in the Super Bowl."

Starting with Spectacular Bid in 1979, American Pharoah was the 14th horse to win the Derby and Preakness. Twelve of them lost in the Belmont. In 2012, I'll Have Another was scratched because of a career-ending tendon injury the day before the race.

Hall of Famers Gary Stevens and Kent Desormeaux competed Saturday, riding Tale of Verve (seventh), and Keen Ice (third, $4.60), respectively. Stevens, 52, and Desormeaux, 45, played major roles in two of Baffert's Triple Crown attempts. In 1997, Stevens rode Silver Charm, whom Touch Gold caught in the final 50 yards of the Belmont. The next year, Stevens denied Baffert and Desormeaux the sweep when Victory Gallop nosed out Real Quiet in as tight a photo finish as anyone ever saw. It may have been the most excruciating defeat in racing history.

Trainer Nick Zito saddled long shot Frammento, who came in fifth. Zito's long shots Birdstone and Da'Tara canceled the two most recent Triple Crown bids by Smarty Jones (2004) and Big Brown (2008). Like American Pharoah, both of those colts were heavily favored and looked unbeatable on paper.

On Tuesday, Justin Zayat spoke of American Pharoah's day of destiny.

"You know how hard it is to win these big races," he said. "Right now, you know American Pharoah is a very good horse. On Saturday, we'll learn whether he's one of the best of all time and will go down in history."

We learned.

BELMONT STAKES FINAL RESULTS

1. American Pharoah ($3.50, $2.80, $2.50)

2. Frosted ($3.50, $2.90)

3. Keen Ice ($4.60)

4. Mubtaahij

5. Frammento

6. Madefromlucky

7. Tale of Verve

8. Materiality

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