Will American Pharoah win the Triple Crown?

[Webb]

I don't watch much horse racing and I just saw the Preakness tonight so maybe some of you racing fans can fill me in.

American Pharoah looked great in the Preakness, especially at the end. What's the chances he wins the Belmont? Early odds put him at 2:3.

[Hawkeye07]

American Pharoah appears to be a strong contender for the Triple Crown. I enjoy horse racing but like you, I don't watch it a lot except for the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. But from what I've read about him I'd say he's going to do it. He had a bad showing his first time out but has proven himself a winner ever since. With the Preakness he's won 2 for 2 in muddy race tracks so the weather won't be a big factor for him and he's shown he can over come the pre-race distractions like he experienced at Churchill Downs. He's long legged and likes to be in front and with Victor Espinoza in the saddle it's going to be a hard team to beat. Espinoza has 56 major wins since '96 and over 3,000 career wins. Although he's a little heavy on the whip at times he knows how to read the horse's moods and adjusts his strategy accordingly.

[ViperPilot]

Was it just me, or did it seem that, as they were coming down the Home Stretch, the 3rd place finisher started taking the other contenders to the outside and then cut them off, breaking to the inside?

I hope American Pharaoh pulls it off; he's a good looking horse!

[U4EA]

I'm a race fan of that which does use horsepower, quite a few as a matter of fact, but I'd say the showing AP put on in the stretch, muddy as it was, puts him as the strongest Triple Crown contestant that there's been in quite a while.

Curiosity is gonna have me a Belmont viewer.........if he doesn't do it, I'd be really surprised.

[Webb]

American Pharoah wins the Triple Crown

ELMONT, N.Y. – American Pharoah accomplished one of the rare feats in sport Saturday, becoming the first horse in 37 years and just the 12th horse ever to win the Triple Crown.

The heavily favored colt completed the quest by running away from seven rivals in the Belmont Stakes, three weeks after a rain-soaked dash in the Preakness and five weeks after a gritty, stretch-duel victory in the Kentucky Derby.

American Pharoah's name now moves into the history books alongside equine immortals like Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Citation and War Admiral. And horse racing finally has the superstar it has hungered for – a fluid athlete with a massive stride who seems to float over the ground.

[Hawkeye07]

This picture of the final stretch says it all.

American Pharoah joined the exclusive club of Triple Crown winners Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978).