American Pharoah, for lack of a better term, is closing in on the finish line.
Saturday afternoon the horse is hoping to make history at Belmont Stakes by completing the Triple Crown and further cementing the legacy of Arizona’s own Bob Baffert.
It’s also expected to be a busy weekend in Las Vegas as people flock to various establishments to bet the race and Sunday’s Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 in Oakland.
“From the booksmaker’s angle this is as good as it gets,” long-time Las Vegas oddsmaker and South Point Casino Resort bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro told Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat in a phone interview Friday morning. “We are opening up another ballroom to accommodate another 500 guests that wouldn’t have made reservations this weekend if there weren’t a triple crown involved with this.”
Vaccaro said most bookmakers would prefer to have a bigger field than eight horses but the intrigue surrounding what’s on the line for Baffert’s American Pharoah is tough to beat in early June from a wagering standpoint.
Frosted and Materiality are two horses some feel could end American Pharoah’s streak this weekend in New York.
Eric Sorenson
