American Pharoah routs Breeders’ Cup Classic rivals

American Pharoah produced a dazzling performance to make history in becoming the first Triple Crown hero to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic as he led his rivals a merry dance at Keeneland on Saturday night.

The only horse to claim the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes since Affirmed in 1978, the Bob Baffert-trained three-year-old bounced back from a shock defeat in the Travers Stakes to confirm beyond any doubt his superstar credentials.

There might have been a brief moment when his rivals had a flicker of hope as they closed down the back, but it was just a flicker as he strode away in magnificent fashion when Victor Espinoza got lower in the saddle.