American Pharoah leads the way at the 2015 Belmont Stakes

American Pharoah leads the way at the 2015 Belmont Stakes

The Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has ties to the Show-Me-State.  His name came from Margarent Baumgartner, from Barnett, Mo. located near the Lake of the Ozarks.  His stable was looking for fans to name their newest two-year olds, when Margaret submitted her selection.

She used the horse’s pedigree and the fact that the owner of the horse is from Egypt, to help Baumgartner come up with the name that will now live on in history.

She attended the Kentucky Derby and after her story ran in the New York Times, the CEO of Belmont Park, invited her and her husband to attend the race after he learned the Baumgartner’s did not make plans upon hearing the race was sold out.  A Missouri woman, who named the winner got to see history as it happened.

Take a listen back to this montage of the 1978 Belmont race with Affirmed along with American Pharoah’s 2015 ride…the last two Triple Crown winners.  (You’ll notice the length of this audio is 2:26…the winning time for American Pharoah)


(audio from CBS and NBC)

Listen to Margaret retell her story to Brad Trenago of Missourinet affiliate, KTGR Columbia, as she tries to shed some light on how the newest Triple Crown Winner’s name is actually spelled wrong.