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Preakness Stakes 2015: American Pharoah wins Preakness Stakes

By Patrick Schmidt

May 16, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Victor Espinoza aboard American Pharoah wins the 140th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Victor Espinoza aboard American Pharoah wins the 140th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /
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American Pharoah is one win away from winning the triple crown after the horse won the 2015 Preakness Stakes.

American Pharoah came to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland looking to win the second leg of the triple crown after winning the Kentucky Derby and was the prohibitive favorite with 4/5 odds to win the Preakness Stakes.

The horse trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert and with Victor Espinoza on the rise drew the pole position earlier in the week which didn’t make Baffert too happy considering only one horse in the last 54 years has won the Preakness Stakes from that first position. Also of note, Baffert’s previous three Derby winners (War Emblem, Real Quiet and Silver Charm) all won the Preakness after winning at Churchill Downs.

American Pharoah won the Derby by having the benefit of chasing down the field from the outside so the thoroughbred had to adapt his style in the 9.5 furlongs (1 3/16 miles) and enter the Belmont Stakes with a chance to be the first triple crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

The big, majestic beauty of a horse almost had to win to keep the hope alive that this year could be the year that this transcendent horse joins the other 11 horses to capture the triple crown and join the iconic list of names that include Secretariat, Seattle Slew and War Admiral.

American Pharoah kept the triple crown dream alive after jumping out to an early lead on a rain-soaked course and maintained the lead for the entire 9.5 furlongs for an impressive win in the Preakness to be the 35th horse in history to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

American Pharoah ran a 1:58.46 to beat Tale of Verve, Divining Rod and Dortmund and will have a shot at joining the horse racing icons with a win at Belmont Park in New York in three weeks in the Belmont Stakes.

Do you think American Pharoah can pull off the feat and be the first triple crown winner since Affirmed in 1978?

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