1 of 2 | Victor Espinoza, atop American Pharaoh, looks back for the rest of the field as he wins the Breeders Cup Classic at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky on October 31, 2015. Photo by Mark Abraham/UPI |
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Triple Crown winner American Pharoah capped his brilliant career with a dominant victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.
American Pharoah, who will be retired to stud, prevailed by 6 1/2 lengths over Effinex - the second-longest shot in the field at 30-1 - and covered 1 1/4 miles in a track-record 2 minutes, seven-hundreds of a second. American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, paid $3.40 for $2 to win as the 3-5 favorite in the field of nine.
"He's done so much, it's time for him to step out and have a nice life," Espinoza said before returning to the winner's circle amid a cheering throng at jam-packed Keeneland.
Honor Code, the second choice at 9-2, closed to finish third, followed by Keen Ice, Tonalist, Hard Aces, Frosted and Gleneagles.
American Pharoah, owned by Ahmed Zayat, finished his career with nine wins - eight in Grade I races - and a second in 11 starts.
"He was doing so well coming up and Victor let him roll," trainer Bob Baffert said. "I'll never have another horse like him."
As expected, American Pharoah set the pace and covered the first half-mile in a comfortable 47.50 seconds with Effinex sitting second. Frosted and Tonalist tried to close the gap from third and fourth but turning for home, Espinoza urged American Pharoah and he opened up a big lead while not being threatened down the stretch.
After American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes by a combined 13 1/2 lengths to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, he returned to the races nearly two months later and easily won the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
A second cross-country trip from his stable in California may have taxed American Pharoah as he was upset by Keen Ice in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 29. American Pharoah was given a break and trained brilliantly leading up to the Classic.
American Pharoah's quest to add the Breeders' Cup Classic to his trophy case Saturday became a bit easier when Beholder was scratched on Thursday. The five-year-old mare would have been the second choice and was attempting to win her third different Breeders' Cup race, but blood was discovered in her lungs.
In earlier Breeders' Cup races:
--Nyquist ($11.40), named for Detroit Red Wings star Gustav Nyquist and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, solidified his status as the top two-year-old male in the country with a victory in the Juvenile to improve to 5 for 5 lifetime.
--Songbird ($3.20), ridden by Mike Smith, improved to 4 for 4 and cemented divisional honors with a wire-to-wire 5 3/4-length romp in the Juvenile Fillies, running more than a full second faster than Nyquist.
--Tepin ($11.80), a four-year-old filly, rolled to a 2 1/4-length victory in the Mile under jockey Julien Leparoux, giving trainer Mark Casse his second Breeders' Cup winner after entering 2015 winless in 23 starts.
--Found ($14.80), a three-year-old filly, edged past odds-on favorite and Arc de Triomphe champion Golden Horn in the stretch to win the Turf as no Arc winner has won a Breeders' Cup race in the 32-year history of the event.
--Runhappy (5.20) and jockey Edgar Prado ran past Private Zone in the stretch to win the Sprint in a track record 1 minute, 8.58 seconds for six furlongs.
--Stephanie's Kitten ($17.60), with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, split horses in mid-stretch to defeat odds-on favorite Legatissimo in the Filly And Mare Turf.
--Wavell Avenue ($22) and jockey Joel Rosario ran down pacesetter La Verdad late to win the Filly And Mare Sprint.
--Mongolian Saturday ($33.80) held off Lady Shipman by a neck to score an upset in the Turf Sprint under jockey Florent Geroux.
