by rob05c

American Pharoah led all the way to win the Belmont Stakes by 5 ½ lengths on Saturday, becoming the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes — one of the sporting world’s rarest feats.

The first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

I grew up in Kentucky, the thoroughbred capital of the world. On road trips, my Grandpa would tell strangers that Kentucky is known for three things, "Fast horses, fast women, and good whiskey." My mother wouldn't let us see the Derby, because she doesn't like how it ruins the horses. But they love it. They're born for it. I'm 28 and my knees hurt all the time from distance running. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. Socrates said, "It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." I'd not deny that to a horse any more than a human.

The grace and power of these creatures takes my breath away. It's one of those rare things America took early and made her own. When I think of defining videos of America's history, I think of FDR's declaration of war, Martin Luther King's speech, Neil Armstrong's landing, and Secretariat's win:

And now there are twelve.