American Pharoah

After three runner-up finishes in the Kentucky Derby for owner Zayat Stables, champion American Pharoah finally gave the Zayat family its first Kentucky Derby win in 2015 with a convincing victory at Churchill Downs. He followed with a sensational seven-length runaway victory in the Preakness Stakes to place himself on the brink of racing history.

On June 6, 2015, American Pharoah set the pace in the Belmont Stakes and showed his name belonged in the history books when he stormed through the stretch to become Thoroughbred racing's 12th Triple Crown winner and first since Affirmed in 1978.

One of the magnificent feats in all of sports had become so elusive that many questioned whether horses were being bred for the task and whether the format of three races in five weeks should be changed. But American Pharoah, the 14th horse since Affirmed to venture to Belmont Park in pursuit of racing immortality, showed that the massive challenge can still be met.

It takes greatness. And American Pharoah, celebrated for his too-short tail, his ultra-sensitive hearing that leads Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to stuff his ears with cotton and his misspelled name, achieved that stature for Zayat Stables.

“I just feel like I have a very special horse,” said Baffert. “He’s the one who won it, not me.”

American Pharoah debuted with a fifth-place effort in a maiden special weight at Del Mar. The effort was enough for his connections to enter the colt in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity which he won by a widening 4 3/4 lengths after leading at every call.

The colt's next start was another dominant victory in the FrontRunner Stakes on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita Park. Although he missed the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with an injury, American Pharoah was named champion 2-year-old male for 2014.

In his 3-year-old debut, American Pharoah led every step of the way in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes and won by 6 1/4 lengths to cement his place in the 2015 Kentucky Derby. In his next start the colt settled behind blistering fractions and romped to an easy eight-length victory in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby to cement his status as the Kentucky Derby favorite.

Following the Triple Crown, American Pharoah swamped the opposition in the William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes before he tasted defeat for the first time since his career debut in the Travers Stakes. American Pharoah turned back Frosted in the Travers stretch but could not hold off the late charge of Keen Ice and settled for a valiant second.

The colt finished off his career two months later when he romped in the Breeders' Cup Classic by multiple lengths to complete the first Grand Slam of racing at Keeneland.

Following the standout season, American Pharoah was honored with Eclipse Awards as champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year.

American Pharoah was retired to stud duty at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. for a first-year stud fee of $200,000.

In January 2016 it was announced that American Pharoah's Belmont Stakes win was voted 2015 NTRA Moment of the Year.

The son of Pioneerof the Nile is a Zayat Stables homebred out of the Yankee Gentleman mare Littleprincessemma. He was a $300,000 buyback at auction as a yearling