October 31, 2015 is a day that has made equine history! It has happened! For the first time in
history we have a Grand Slam Winner! The Grand Slam is the title given to the winner of the
Triple Crown, as well as the prestigious Breeders Cup Classic. This feat has never been accomplished. . . until now. Moments ago, eight horses settled into the starting gate, jockeys poised for action. The bell rang. The horses leapt forward as one. American Pharaoh, first winner of the Triple Crown in 37 years, took an early lead. He held that lead through the end of the 1 1/4 mile race on the Keeneland Racetrack just outside of Lexington, Kentucky. Not once did he waver. Never did he struggle. He kept his lead throughout the entire race and crossed the finish line 6 1/2 lengths ahead of the rest of the field. All viewers, including my family from our living room, were ecstatic! We had witnessed history once more! Three-year-old American Pharaoh with jockey Victor Espinoza, trainer Bob Baffert, and owner Ahmed Zayat took him to victory! American Pharaoh ran his race with seemingly no competition in 2:00.07.
Now, the famous horse has retired to become a stud and will be living in a lovely breeding farm near Keeneland, not far from where he was raised. He has finished his racing career with ease, class, and style. He is one of the best. Never will there be a horse like American Pharaoh.
June 6th, 2015 is a day that has made history! It has happened! For the first time in thirty-seven years we have a Triple Crown Winner! The Triple Crown is among the most prestigious series of horse races for three-year-olds. In order for a horse to win the Triple Crown, it must first win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Then it needs to win the mile-and-a-half long Belmont Stakes! Only eleven horses have ever won this award—that is, until today. Now there are twelve horses that have this claim to fame. American Pharaoh with his jockey, Victor Espinoza, and his trainer, Bob Baffert, have broken this long famine of winners. Congrats, American Pharaoh!
My family and I were standing up. We were cheering and we were shouting. We were on the edge of our seats. We watched history! I am so excited and honored to be able to say that I have witnessed such a "rare" occurrence. Although I am not really into horse racing, this was so exciting for me because of a combination of my love for horses and witnessing such a historical event. I am thrilled that I have been able to watch each of the three races on my television and that he made it all the way through all three races with flying colors even through the monsoon-type weather at the Preakness! Thank you all for sharing in my excitement!
