The long wait has finally come to an end. American Pharoah won the G1 Belmont Stakes to be crowned with the American ‘Triple Crown’, the first to achieve this feat since 1978. There have been 13 failed attempts since Affirmed won the Triple Crown 37 year ago but the son of Pioneer of the Nile kept his tryst with destiny and got his name etched in history with a resounding pillar to post victory at Belmont Park. American Pharoah is only the 12th horse to win the US Triple Crown.

With the world watching American Pharoah, the 3-5 favourite was not the quickest at start as he jumped out from draw five but was soon  in front with a comfortable lead with Materiality, Frosted, Keen Ice and Mubtaahij in tow. American Pharoah was still in total command with jockey Victor Espinoza holding him easy and never looked to running out of gas as the headed to the stretch. Frosted looked to be the only challenger but American Pharoah glided away with supreme authority to the delight of a mammoth crowd to pocket the rich purse of $1.5 million and the coveted ‘Triple Crown’ glory.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who was saddling an incredible fourth potential Triple Crown winner was emotional about the outcome and said, “Down the backside, he was in his groove, and I knew that if he’s a great horse, he’s going to do it. He's just a great horse. It takes a great horse to do it. I just feel like I have a very special horse, and he’s the one that won. It wasn't me, it was the horse.”   

Jockey Espinoza paraded the Champion in front of the packed grandstand to a standing ovation. “Wow, wow, I only can tell you,” he said. “It's just an amazing thing. It's just unbelievable how things work out. It's just an amazing horse like American Pharoah.”

"I knew we would win in the first turn,” Espinoza, who had on two occasions earlier a chance at riding a Triple Crown winner  including California Chrome in last year’s Belmont, said. “He broke a little step slowly, but in two jumps I was just right on the lead. That's right where I want to be, a length in front of everybody and just steady, steady all the way around. I tell you, I had the best feeling ever when he crossed the first turn.”

(photo credit: Zoe Metz/Eclipse Sportswire)