RECORD-SETTING TRIPLE CROWN DROUGHT IS FINALLY OVER
|| By FITSNEWS || American Pharoah did it …
After thirteen failed attempts over the last thirty-seven years, the horse with the awe-inspiring name gave an awe-inspiring performance at the Belmont Stakes – breaking the longest drought in Triple Crown history.
Jockey Victor Espinoza knew his horse had it, too … telling NBC Sports after the race that he knew American Pharoah would win the race “after the first turn.”
“What an amazing horse,” he said.
After a 25-year drought from 1948 to 1973, three Triple Crowns were captured in the 1970s – the first by Secretariat, generally regarded as the greatest horse in history. In 1977 Seattle Slew won it, and in 1978 Affirmed claimed the crown – which consists of winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the same year.
But then came a record-setting string of futility …
Of the thirteen horses to try (and fail) to capture the Triple Crown over that period, Real Quiet came the closest in 1998 – losing the Belmont by a nose.
Pharoah made sure this year’s race wasn’t a nail-biter. Despite a slower-than-usual start, the three-year-old – trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Egyptian entrepreneur Ahmed Zayat – led the race from wire-to-wire, pulling ahead down the homestretch as 90,000 fans roared their approval.
“He’s just a great horse,” Baffert said. “It takes a great horse to do it.”
For those of you keeping score at home, Pharoah’s time in the Belmont was 2:26.65.
That’s two-and-a-half seconds off Secretariat’s 1973 record-setting time in the mile-and-a-half (twelve furlongs) race.
39 comments
Helluva good race!
great race!! But I heard Hillary showed up thinking it was some leader of a middle eastern country trying to give her even more money for her “foundation”
Really, I thought it was the Bushes. As I recall they are in the oil business and in tight with the Saudi Royal family
.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Bush,_House_of_Saud
No, you know its the Clintons but keep trying slide of hand to make it go away .
“Between 2001 and 2014 Middle Eastern countries gave $18 million to $50 million to the Clinton Foundation, accounting for 1.4 to 4 percent of contributions over the period. In contrast, the same nations gave about $6.82 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross, accounting for less than 1 percent of the $11.2 billion in contributions the organization received.
Saudi Arabia
$10 million to $25 million
Qatar
$1 million to $5 million
Oman
$1 million to $5 million
UAE
$1 million to $5 million
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/06/262201/arab-nations-donations-to-clinton.html#storylink=cpy
https://www.google.com/search?q=bush+saudi+connections&rlz=1T4GZBN_enUS443&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=maR1Ve21CozUgwSj5IGgCA&ved=0CCYQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=866
you really have a link to Wikipedia and a google search images link or your responses? Damn desperate. Is this your card? The more you try the more everyone knows your “magic” is bullshit 18-50 million paid to the Clinton Foundation from the same people you are trying to set it up to look the other way. “Nothing to see here, ooops there is”
oh look here are pictures of Hillary in the same manner. Must prove a point
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pictures+of+hillary+with+saudi+arabia&qpvt=pictures+of+hillary+with+saudi+aribia&qpvt=pictures+of+hillary+with+saudi+aribia&FORM=IGRE
No hand holding or kissing going on here.
sure there were. But just say it so the others that don’t click on it might believe you. “magic”
There are plenty of books on the Bush Family and Saudi Royal Family connections. No need for me to rehash all that. Pick up a few and read them. Significantly larger number (numerically and in dollars) of proven connections between the Saudi’s and the Bushes than between the Saudi’s and the Clintons.
hold on hold on. Did you actually just admit Hillary has taken Saudi money? Holy crap. I was sure you would just keep trying misdirection to ignore that.
Actually, I don’t know what evidence there is that the Saudi’s made the contributions to the Clinton Foundation that you claim. If you say its so, maybe it is. The Clinton Foundation gets contributions from a lot of people. I also don’t consider a contribution to the Clinton Foundation, a contribution to Hillary Clinton or her campaign.
That said, if we are going to start pointing fingers, I am perfectly happy to point out, it is far more likely Jeb Bush is int he pocket of the Saudi’s than Hillary Clinton. I am happy to point out there are more money connections between the Bush Family and the Saudi’s than between the Clinton Family and the Saudi’s. As I said the Bush’s have been in the oil business with the Saudi’s for decades.
I would encourage them to click on and look at both and determine for themselves. No hand holding and kissing in Clinton pics. Lots of hand holding and kissing in Bush pics.
http://www.hermes-press.com/BushSaud.htm
I love instead of laughing at a joke, you must try to hide what was said with misdirection.
If you don’t want to discuss it don’t put it out there. As I said there are many more documented connections between the Bush Family and the Saudi’s than there are between the Clinton Family and the Saudi’s. The Bush family has been in the oil business with the Saudi’s for decades.
Opening up a can fo worms is what happens when you start throwing out right wing talking points.
Why do you assume I give a damn about Bush? I am just pointing out all you do is misdirect you hide points made against your lesbian ruler that were the subject of a funny joke.
You just hate Hillary Clinton. Like most wing nuts you have no point to make at all, just hate. Its important for people to see that, so they know to ignore your bull shit..
No, you acting like one of those 14 year old girls that freak out if someone are says something bad about Taylor Swift on tweeter. Grow up and take a joke. Trying to keep any bad thing away from her by acting like you do is why every knows all you say is misdirected bullshit, and no one takes you seriously. Good that people see that huh?
in reference to my last comment above this is what I picture you to look like when you do that FYI. Just change the name to Hillary and it really might be you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc
It’s pronounced: “Fay-roh.”
37 years since … Historic and a good race, beautiful. Congrats to Baffert.
That was a fun race to watch. Saw my first tripple crown.
Just wish that he was American owned. That rich Arab’s great, great ,great grandfather was riding the desert on a camel while mine was fighting in the American Revolution . We have about sold the country and whatever goes with it.
I proudly remember Secretariat’s victories too but it is a different world and the sooner you realize that the better
I don’t like it but that is the way it is.
I helped prop up “rich” Arabs in Gulf I & II in the name of the United States of America as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States of America
Your point being??????????
Just what I said, that rich Arab contributed nothing to this nation.My ancestors came here from Scotland in 1722 and have served in the American Revolution, The War of 1812, The Mexican War of 1848, The Spanish American War 1898, World War I and World War II. I am tired of ragheads and towel heads. We built the greatest nation in the history of the world and are now selling it off piece by piece.
Who is we? My ancestors arrived almost 75 years before yours, 1652 Surry County, Virginia. They supported Charles II in his war against Cromwell. When he lost, they faced both political oppression and religious persecution. So they like so many others fled to America. They fought in all the same wars as your ancestors.
Now all that is interesting history, but the truth is I haven’t fought in any wars. The truth is I have done nothing to build this nation other than to live my life, work, run my business, and pay my taxes. I have suffered no persecution and no significant hardship in my life. I did not carve a homestead from the wilderness. I have benefited from the bounty of our nation and the work of those before me. I was educated in public school and attended a state supported University.
Many, new Americans fled Europe because they were discriminated against because of their religious beliefs or ancestry. They fled to a country that promised those things would never be issues.
So tell me what have you as a “Scottish American” done for this country that is more than the ” Arab American” you so despise has done for this country.
Also, since we are attributing the works of our ancestors to those of us here today, did your family fight to against the greatest nation in history in the Civil War.
“Now all that is interesting history…”
Really, it’s not all that interesting.
Yes, interesting to me only. Should have made that clear .I am a history buff.
Ask the people who work for him here in America if he is contributing or not
American Pharoah’s trainer makes serious bucks fer sure…….
You are just spouting more xenophobic shit – Zayat’s just a capitalist ain’t he???
Mika interviewed him and his family this morning on “Morning Joe”. Zatat’s wife is a New Jersey native and fits the look of a jewish mom to a “T”.
Go back to “Irish need not apply”
Seriously?
So how many generations of US citizens does a family have to have to be your equal? You sound like a racist to me. I’ll bet if this horse had been owned by a white Christian German who immigrated to America after WWII, we would not have heard this from you.
By the way, you do know that Ahmed Zayat, is Jewish and not Muslim don’t you?
Horse racing has gone the way of boxing, only those interested in horse racing give a shit about the Triple Crown. It used to be these horses were considered for “Man of the Year” on Time and Newsweek, today it won’t even be discussed tomorrow.
kinda wrong there…………
I was at a bar in Spartanburg and when the race started everyone in the bar was transfixed and cheered wildly when Pharoah won.
There’s something about watching a horse race that is unlike watching any other “sport”. People who don’t give a shit about sports will get transfixed watching a horse race like the Kentucky Derby or if a Triple Crown victory might happen. I’ve seen it many times over the years – it’s hard to put into words
Was at the same bar last year during the Kentucky Derby – same emotions
And yes, it WILL be discussed “over the water cooler” tomorrow….
It was a good race – plain and simple.
And if it wasn’t on the television, it’s likely nobody would have requested the bartender turn it on.
You are correct sparklecity. Saw they put it on the big screen at Yankee Stadium so the fans could watch and the Yankee/Angels players were real into it as well. The possibility of seeing the first Triple Crown in 37 years sparked interested in both horse racing and non-fans. It was cool and is still being discussed. Bartenders across the country were asked to put the race on.
Secretariat, The greatest race horse in my lifetime. I remember the races that horse won for the triple crown. Made the other thoroughbreds looks like a sharecropper’s plow mules.
How many SC trained horses have won triple crown races ? Anyone ? How many SC riders have won a triple crown race ?