Seven horses, a mile-and-a-half route and 36 years of failure are all that stand in the way of American Pharoah’s becoming thoroughbred racing’s 12thTriple Crown champion, and the first since Affirmed in 1978.
A son of Pioneerof the Nile, American Pharoah will launch his bid from the No. 5 post in a field of eight as the 3-5 odds-on favorite Saturday in the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes. Victor Espinoza will ride and try to take down the sport’s holy grail for the third time. Last year he missed with California Chrome, and in 2002 he fell short with War Emblem.