Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is ridden by exercise rider Jorge Alvarez during a workout for the Breeders’ Cup horse race at Keeneland race track Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) LEXINGTON, Ky. — Triple Crown champion American Pharoah won the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by 6 1/2 lengths Saturday in his final race before retirement.
The 3-year-old colt ran 1 1/4 miles in a track-record 2:00.07 as the sentimental 3-5 favorite among the crowd of 50,155 at Keeneland. Fans stood 20-deep all along the rail, cheering and snapping cell phone photos of the superstar horse.
American Pharoah won nine of his 11 career starts, including the first sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 37 years this spring. He earned a total of $8,650,300 for Ahmed Zayat, the Egyptian-born owner who chose to keep his popular horse in training so fans could see him run.
Effinex, a 33-1 shot, finished second and Honor Code was third.