It took nearly four decades, but a horse has once again attained the honor that some call the most difficult achievement in sports: American Pharoah, after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, ran to victory in the Belmont Stakes as well.

He’s the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. With his win, a total of 12 horses have now achieved the feat.

American Pharoah took the lead early in the race, with Materiality close on his tail: at the halfway point, they were separated by three-quarters of a length.

But then the favorite kicked away, opening up a two-length lead at the top of the final stretch, as Frosted moved into second. American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza opened up even more distance as they made their way to triumph across the finish line.

In that emphatic win, American Pharoah overcame a marked disadvantage: he was the only horse running in the Belmont Stakes who also ran in both the Derby and the Preakness. That means he was racing against better-rested horses.

Over the years, as NPR’s Joel Rose reports, that disparity has led to grumbling from horse-racing fans and professionals — and some skepticism that any horse, under those rules, could again win the Triple Crown:

“I’m 61 years old, and I’ll never see, in my lifetime, I will never see another Triple Crown winner, because [of] the way they do this,” said California Chrome’s owner, Steve Coburn, after the race.

The winner at last year’s Belmont was Tonalist. He didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness, so he had plenty of time to rest before the Belmont. Coburn said that should not be allowed.

“It’s all or nothing,” Coburn said last year. “Because this is not fair to these horses that have been running their guts out for these people, and for the people who believe in them. This is a coward’s way out in my opinion. This is a coward’s way out.”

Coburn later apologized. But he put his finger on something real. Of the seven horses challenging American Pharoah in this year’s Belmont, only one raced in the Preakness three weeks ago, meaning the other horses have had at least two extra weeks to rest.

But calls for a rule change might die down for a while, now that American Pharoah beat his well-rested opponents.

The resounding win is a triumph not only for the horse, but for owner Ahmed Zayat and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

And it may feel particularly sweet to Espinoza, who has fallen just short of the Triple Crown twice before: In 2002, he rode War Emblem as the Triple Crown contender came in 8th in the Belmont; last year, he rode California Chrome to 4th.

On Saturday, before a roaring crowd, he rode American Pharoah into the history books.

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The last time the Golden State Warriors were in the NBA Championship, their berth was such a surprise that they had to schedule games around an ice entertainment show at the Oakland Coliseum.

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Overcoming a mid-match lull and a third-set deficit, Serena Williams won her third French Open title and 20th major singles trophy by beating 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 on Saturday.

The top-ranked Williams took the last six games and added to her championships on the red clay of Roland Garros in 2002 and 2013.

She stretched her Grand Slam winning streak to 21 matches, following titles at the U.S. Open last September and Australian Open in January.

Only two women in the century-plus history of Grand Slam tennis have won more than the 33-year-old American: Margaret Smith Court with 24 titles, and Steffi Graf with 22.

This one, though, did not come easily for Williams, who double-faulted 11 times.

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The Triple Crown is one of the most difficult tests in sports: Three horse races over the course of just five weeks, culminating with the Belmont Stakes Saturday in Elmont, N.Y.

American Pharoah is favored to win, which would make him the first horse to capture the Triple Crown in 37 years. But his rivals have a key advantage: They’ve had extra time to rest, and that’s led to some grumbling inside the sport.

Since 1978, a dozen horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness — only to come up short on the mile-and-a-half dirt track at Belmont Park. That total includes last year’s Belmont favorite, California Chrome, who finished a disappointing fourth.

“I’m 61 years old, and I’ll never see, in my lifetime, I will never see another Triple Crown winner, because [of] the way they do this,” said California Chrome’s owner, Steve Coburn, after the race.

The winner at last year’s Belmont was Tonalist. He didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness, so he had plenty of time to rest before the Belmont. Coburn said that should not be allowed.

“It’s all or nothing,” Coburn said last year. “Because this is not fair to these horses that have been running their guts out for these people, and for the people who believe in them. This is a coward’s way out in my opinion. This is a coward’s way out.”

Coburn later apologized. But he put his finger on something real. Of the seven horses challenging American Pharoah in this year’s Belmont, only one raced in the Preakness three weeks ago, meaning the other horses have had at least two extra weeks to rest.

That’s led some to propose extending the Triple Crown season, so that all the horses might be on more equal footing going into the final race. But the owner of American Pharoah rejects that idea.

“The good ones find a way to win,” said Ahmed Zayat. “My horse is coming in with zero excuse.”

At a press conference this week, Zayat said tradition is important. “What makes this game special is its history,” Zayat said. “I want to be compared, if my horse achieves something, to Seattle Slew and Secretariat. Once you try to play with what happened before, it’s something you don’t want to do.”

The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed, in 1978, ridden by an 18-year-old jockey named Steve Cauthen.

“I remember right after I won it that people were starting to say the Triple Crown is getting too easy, they’re gonna have to make it tougher,” Cauthen says. “Because people were getting bored when three horses won it in one decade.”

Those winners in the 1970s also included Secretariat and Seattle Slew. Cauthen says there’s a reason the Triple Crown schedule is grueling.

“That’s what proves that a Triple Crown horse is so special, is that he takes on all comers at all times,” Cauthen says. “There’s no question that he’s far and away the best horse.”

If American Pharoah wins at Belmont, he’ll join that very select group of Triple Crown champions. If he doesn’t, you can bet that calls to change the rules will continue.

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It’s a championship weekend in sports: the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup, and perhaps a Triple Crown? NPR’s Scott Simon talks with NPR’s Tom Goldman about the upcoming sporting events.

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The Women’s World Cup kicks off Saturday in Canada. Twenty-four teams will compete in six cities. NPR’s Scott Simon talks to NPR’s Shereen Marisol Meraji about the largest sporting event for women.

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A day after news emerged that soccer’s world body paid Ireland not to protest a blatant handball by France’s Thierry Henry in 2009, the Football Association of Ireland is releasing more details about the arrangement — including a copy of a signed deal.

FIFA paid the FAI more than 5 million euros — equal to around $7 million at the time of the transaction in January 2010 — so that the Irish would quit their plans for a legal appeal.

“We felt we had a legal case against FIFA because of how the World Cup play-off hadn’t worked out for us with the Henry handball,” FAI CEO John Delaney tells Irish broadcaster RTE.

It’s the latest report of millions of dollars changing hands over FIFA and the World Cup. While earlier news has alleged hefty bribes over the awarding of the tournament, this case centers on a pivotal play in a World Cup playoff game that played in a key role in Ireland staying home for the 2010 Cup.

The play in November of 2009 was immediately controversial — particularly after Henry admitted that he used his hand to guide the ball shortly before a crucial goal. Ireland was eliminated on aggregate goals, 2-1.

Ireland loudly protested and demanded to play France again. But FIFA offered a different accommodation: a confidential payment to the country’s soccer association that was initially called an interest-free loan. Last summer, the loan was forgiven, in a note that cited Ireland’s failure to qualify for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

FIFA acknowledged the arrangement Thursday. And today, saying that the rules of confidentiality no longer were in play, the FAI published an agreement signed by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Volcke, his deputy Markus Kattner, and FAI’s CEO, John Delaney.

The first page provides some details:

The FAI says it used the FIFA payment for a new stadium, and that its leaders kept the organizations board informed about the FIFA money, which was kept in its central account.

The Irish group also released several bank records, including one showing a transfer of 5 million euros from FIFA. The group included a letter from Kattner to Delaney written in 2014 which concludes, “the credit position vis a vis the FAI stands at nil.”

“All of the information above is contained in our audited accounts,” the FAI says.

The organization says its board “acted at all times in the best interests of Irish football, and in full compliance with Irish company law.”

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