Triple Crown champion American Pharoah cruised to victory at the William Hill Haskell Invitational Sunday at Monmouth Park in Oceanport,to the cheers of an enthusiastic, packed record crowd of 61,000 fans.
His final time was 1:47:80. American Pharoah maintained second place through most of the race, and was all alone at the front after he took the lead into the final stretch. Keen Ice surged ahead of the pack, but never came close to challenging the winning horse. Keen Ice took second, and Upstart was third.
American Pharoah remained calm, despite the screaming crowd.
Directly after the race, Jockey Victor Espinoza said it was smooth sailing.  “He was just like, having fun in there. And me, too, so we were both having fun in there,” he told a television reporter for NBC Sports.
Trainer Bob Baffert said the moments leading up to the win were nerve-wracking. “But this horse, he just keeps bringing it. He showed me – I’m a little emotional – he’s just a great horse. I couldn’t believe the crowd, how loud it was. It’s a great crowd. I love to bring my horses here. Thank for for bring behind American Pharoah the whole way,” he said.
Owner Ahmed Zayat said he was speechless, but called the horse a superstar. “I am extremely proud,” he said. He told the New Jerseyans, “This is your horse.”
The Grade 1 race was Monmouth Park’s richest, boasting a $1.75 million purse. American Pharoah paid $2.20 to win, but many fans said they plan to hold onto their tickets as a treasured souvenir.
Gov. Chis Christie appeared at the racetrack to present the Winner’s Trophy. Some people in the crowd booed the Republican presidential hopeful. In December, 2011, he threatened to shut down the state-run racetrack unless it was shifted to private ownership. Later, the state partnered with the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey in a lease agreement.
