5 Facts About Triple Crown Hopeful American Pharoah
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- American Pharoah won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and he's looking to become horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed won all three races in 1978.
Pharoah is set to run against seven horses. The colt's jockey, Victor Espinoza, has run for a Triple Crown twice before. His trainer, Bob Baffert, has swept the Derby and Preakness three times.
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American Pharoah will be in the No. 5 post position and is the 3-5 favorite to win the race.
Here are five facts you didn't know about the Belmont Stakes favorite.
* He has a faint star on his forehead, but has no other white markings.
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* The horse's name was inspired by his sire's name, Pioneer of the Nile. The misspelling of "Pharaoh" is inadvertent, though the reason for the misspelling remains a bit of a mystery.
* The colt was bred in Kentucky.
* Ahmed Zayat, American Pharoah's owner, has said he expects the horse to retire at the end of the year.
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* The horse's earnings entering the Belmont Stakes are $3,730,300.
