For all of you that have follow my blog, you all know that I was against AP in all three races of the TC, I wanted to write this post with a really cold mind and post Belmont euphoria, because I truly believe in two things.
One, I really think that besides de Derby, he got in some way lucky, first the rain depleted the competition in the Preakness and in the Belmont is almost unbelievable that he got away with such soft fractions 24, 48, 73 2/5 I bet not even Bob Baffert could believe was happening, horses like Materiality that according to Todd Pletcher himself said that would make sure that the race had an honest pace, he never showed up, he sat behind AP and never pressured at any point, I believe Victor Espinoza never in his wildest dreams imagined that something like that could have even happened, but it did and gave AP a dream trip, a soft an easy pace that nobody in his right mind would have ever imagined.
Having said that, the second thing I truly believe in is that no matter how it happened, winning the Triple Crown is such an inconceivable feat to achieve, that deserves the highest recognition and is a moment in history that will always be remembered with unsurpassable joy.
My all time idol is Secretariat, but I was only 5 years old when he won the TC and 10 when Affirmed won his, I was not a fan of the sport I lived in Venezuela and at the time the instantaneity of the news did not exist, internet as we know it today did not exist, so it was many years later when watching the replays when I got to appreciate the greatness of those two champions and the greatness of all the great champions of all times.
So even though I always thought that AP was vulnerable coming into the Belmont Stakes, in my horse racing passionate for the sport heart, I was rooting for him to win so I could finally witness in full consciousness that almost unbelievable feat being conquered, and that is an emotion that will stay with me forever, watching American Pharoah pulling away in the stretch and becoming, after 37 years of a very painful drought, the 12th Triple Crown Champion !
For a brief moment Horse Racing reunited America and horse racing fans from all over the world, the moment when American Pharoah entered the stretch, he was not alone, he had millions of people riding him to immortality, and it was in that particular and magical moment, that from the horse racing heaven, Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, all looked down and gave the warmest and joyous welcome to the new and now only living member of the very elite and most prestigious Triple Crown Champion Club, American Pharoah.-
Here’s the historic video of that magical afternoon at Belmont Park, the day that the fans could not stop cheering and screaming ! Kudos, high honors and long live the reigning Pharoah !
