<P> American Pharoah began his 2015 campaign with wins in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby and went on to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby and 2015 Preakness Stakes . He won the Triple Crown in a wire - to - wire victory at the 2015 Belmont Stakes , becoming the first American Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 and the 12th in history . His winning time was the second - fastest for a Triple Crown winner , and his closing quarter - mile time of 24.32 was faster than Secretariat 's . He next shipped to Monmouth Park and easily won the Haskell Invitational on August 2 , prompting Baffert to say , `` He just keeps bringing it ; he 's a great horse . '' Three weeks later , he finished a close second in a hard - fought Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 29 , 2015 , snapping a winning streak of eight races . After a layoff of two months , he shipped to Keeneland for the 2015 Breeders ' Cup and ran in the Breeders ' Cup Classic , where he challenged older horses for the first time and won by ​ 6 ⁄ lengths , breaking the track record . Under the contract between Zayat and Ashford , American Pharoah was retired to stud at the conclusion of his 2015 racing year . </P>
<P> American Pharoah began his 2015 campaign with wins in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby and went on to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby and 2015 Preakness Stakes . He won the Triple Crown in a wire - to - wire victory at the 2015 Belmont Stakes , becoming the first American Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 and the 12th in history . His winning time was the second - fastest for a Triple Crown winner , and his closing quarter - mile time of 24.32 was faster than Secretariat 's . He next shipped to Monmouth Park and easily won the Haskell Invitational on August 2 , prompting Baffert to say , `` He just keeps bringing it ; he 's a great horse . '' Three weeks later , he finished a close second in a hard - fought Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on August 29 , 2015 , snapping a winning streak of eight races . After a layoff of two months , he shipped to Keeneland for the 2015 Breeders ' Cup and ran in the Breeders ' Cup Classic , where he challenged older horses for the first time and won by ​ 6 ⁄ lengths , breaking the track record . Under the contract between Zayat and Ashford , American Pharoah was retired to stud at the conclusion of his 2015 racing year . </P>
who won the triple crown before american pharaoh
who won the triple crown before american pharaoh
Affirmed
Affirmed