‘I cannot believe I did it,’ Espinoza said. ‘I (won) the Triple Crown race now, but I didn’t make any money, because I donated my money to the City of Hope.’
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Victor Espinoza, the jockey who rode American Pharoah to the first triple crown in 37 years, is celebrating his historic victory in the coolest way possible.
Espinoza always donates 10 percent of his winnings to City of Hope, an organization that researches and treats cancer near his home in California. But after the Belmont Stakes victory that sealed the Triple Crown, he’s multiplying that donation by 10 and giving a full 100 percent.
According to Courier-Journal, American Pharoah’s trainer, Bob Baffert, and his wife, Jill, will also donate their winnings to three different organizations. The couple plans to give $50,000 each to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund; the California Retirement Management Account, a nonprofit that helps retired California racehorses; and Old Friends Farm, a thoroughbred retirement facility.
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Photo Credit: Flickr/Diana Robinson
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