Everyone knows there is no cheering in the press box, and crying is frowned upon as well. Both rules were violated as American Pharoah thundered down the stretch and into the record books, setting off a cathartic celebration at Belmont Park and beyond among those who appreciate racehorses.
American Pharoah is just the 12th Triple Crown champion and the first since Affirmed swept the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes 37 years ago. It was a perfect moment that the sport had been longing for, and it was clear that the colt’s owner, Ahmed Zayat; his trainer, Bob Baffert; and his jockey, Victor Espinoza, understood that.