American Pharoah made history on Saturday, winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes to secure horse racing's first Triple Crown in 37 years.
The pre-race favorite at 3/5 odds, American Pharoah is the first horse to complete the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, and the 12th all-time.
American Pharoah started slowly out of the gate, but quickly recovered and then pulled away at the end. The horse finished the 1½-mile race with a winning time of 2:26.65, holding off Frosted and Keen Ice down the stretch.
American Pharoah improved to 7-1 in its career, winning each of its last seven races.
It was the first career Belmont win for jockey Victor Espinoza, and the second for trainer Bob Baffert, who also won in New York with Point Given in 2001. The fourth time proved to be the charm for Baffert, who saw his horses win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes three times previously -- 1997, 1998 and 2002 -- only to lose in the Belmont Stakes.
Since Affirmed won all three races in 1978, 13 different horses won the first two legs of the Triple Crown before American Pharoah, only to fall short at the Belmont Stakes.
Belmont Glamor
Maybe we should take a few seconds to say whoa
before celebrating the triumph of American Pharoah
or perhaps at least,
sympathize with the beast,
who has a bigger and more muscular rump
than even that of Donald Trump.
And as we admire his muscular calf,
consider this further on his behalf,
despite his rare glory as the new Triple Crown resident,
and that he rarely makes a gaffe,
he won't be a Republican candidate for President.
HZL
6/7/15
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The harsh reality of horse racing
The Belmont Stakes is being held today and most of the attention is focused on whether or not American Pharoah, the winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, can become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. But what should be in the media spotlight is the harsh reality of horse racing and the abuses horses suffer in this sport. Horses are started under saddle too early, sometimes at one and a half years old, which results in injury and early break-downs. They are drugged so they can continue to run even when injured. The sad outcome of many of these horses is their racing days are cut short and they end up discarded years before the end of their natural lives.
Ann Telnaes is an editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 2001.
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