American Pharoah storms home in the Belmont Stakes
American Pharoah’s wire-to-wire victory in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes not only provided horse racing with its first Triple Crown winner in almost four decades, it also marked the colt’s fifth graded stakes win this year.
As a result, American Pharoah stands alone atop the American Graded Stakes Standings list of leading horses. There’s a three-way tie for second, between Dortmund (G1 Santa Anita Derby, G2 San Felipe, G3 Robert B. Lewis), Finnegans Wake (G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, G2 San Marcos, G2 San Gabriel), and International Star (G2 Louisiana Derby, G2 Risen Star, G3 LeComte). There are 27 horses tied with two graded stakes wins each.
Gimme Da Lute’s victory in the G3 Affirmed on Sunday provided trainer Bob Baffert with his eighth individual graded stakes winner this year. Altogether, Baffert horses have won 14 graded stakes. The Hall of Fame conditioner currently sits in third, behind Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, on the AGS trainers list.
Brown also added to his total over the weekend, sending out Slumber (G1 Manhattan) and March (G2 Woody Stephens) to victories at Belmont Park. Brown currently has a total of 11 individual graded stakes winners, which have won 13 graded stakes.
The 7-year-old Slumber gave Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables, who own the horse along with Sheep Pond Partners, their third graded stakes winner of the year, which places them in a tie for fifth on the AGS owners list. In addition to Slumber, Dubb and Bethlehem Stables campaign Condo Commando (G2 Gazelle) and Rosalind (G2 Sheepshead Bay).
The partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman are also in fifth on the AGS owners list. The men campaign Affirmed Stakes winner Gimme Da Lute in addition to Hoppertunity (G2 San Pasqual) and Whiskey Ticket (G3 Illinois Derby).
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Also in fifth place with three individual graded stakes winners is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Not only did the group notch a Grade 1 victory in the Acorn with the up-and-coming Curalina, they have also found the winner’s circle with War Correspondent (G3 Appleton) and Feathered (G3 Edgewood).
