There are bigger horses, but there might not be many better horses. Bob Baffert’s 3-year-old colt American Pharoah has been exceeding expectations since he first stepped on the race track, and now he’s joined the legends of the sport with a season that pretty much any horse short of Secretariat would be impressed by. American Pharoah won the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, closing one of the most successful seasons in thoroughbred racing history.
American Pharoah is the first horse to win the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Classic; the race was only minted in 1984, so there haven’t been any eligible Triple Crown winners. However, taking the race is old hat for Pharoah’s jockey, Victor Espinoza, who has won the race three times. Pharoah’s trainer Bob Baffert also trained last year’s winner, Bayern.
Pharoah won 9 of 11 races he entered this year; his Breeders’ Cup Classic win set a track record at Lexington’s beautiful Keeneland. Now, the super-horse is off to enjoy a very early retirement to the breeding shed to sire the next generation of champions.
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