SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The highlight of Bob Baffert's Hall of Fame career as a thoroughbred trainer happened six years ago. Nothing else comes close.
"Winning the Triple Crown with American Pharoah was the greatest sports moment of my life," said Baffert, fresh from winning his seventh Kentucky Derby. "It was so emotional and such a terrific thing for racing. He deserves all the accolades he gets."
The greatest accolade came at Wednesday's announcement that American Pharoah has been elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. Seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher and 13-time champion steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher also were elected.
American Pharoah ended racing's 37-year Triple Crown drought when he swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in 2015. A bay colt bred in Kentucky by owner Zayat Stables, American Pharoah went on to win the Haskell Invitational and Breeders' Cup Classic. Coupled with his victories earlier in the year in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, he was voted Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Male for 2015, a year after he was crowned as the top 2-year-old.
Overall, American Pharoah posted a career record of 9-1-0 from 11 starts and earned $8,650,300. He now stands at stud in Kentucky.
The 53-year-old Pletcher holds records for career earnings ($405,791,977) and Eclipse Awards and ranks seventh in wins (5,118). He's won the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017), and the Belmont Stakes with Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013), and Tapwrit (2017). Pletcher also has won 11 Breeders' Cup races and has led all North American trainers in earnings 10 times.
