On an idyllic Saturday evening at Belmont Park, American Pharoah made it worth the 37-year wait. Under a perfectly calculated ride by Victor Espinoza, the son of Pioneerof the Nile led the field from start to finish in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, drawing away in the stretch to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 and end a drought that had seen the hopes of 13 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winners end in disappointment.
Ahmed Zayat first entered thoroughbred racing in 2005, and in one decade, has amassed some of the most prominent successes in the industry. Since 2005, Zayat Stables has ranked among the top five owners in North America seven times, including #1 in 2008 and 2015. They have also been the leading owner at some of North America's most prestigious race meets, including Del Mar and Saratoga. Zayat Stables was honored to win their first Eclipse Award in 2014 and their first Classic races in 2015, with homebred champion American Pharoah.
Victor Espinoza began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. Espinoza became the first jockey in history to get three opportunities to win the Triple Crown[1] and earned back-to-back wins with California Chrome and American Pharoah in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, only the sixth jockey in history to do so. Espinoza became the first Latino jockey to win the Triple Crown, and, at age 43, the oldest.
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