NEW YORK — 24.32 seconds.

With a final quarter-mile dash to the finish even faster than Secretariat, American Pharoah ran into Triple Crown history with a dazzling display of speed and endurance in the Belmont Stakes.

Triple Crown winner Secretariat may have taken the 1973 Belmont by a record 31 lengths and in a record time of 2:24, but American Pharoah was faster to the finish over the final 440 yards. Big Red took 25 seconds; American Pharoah was .68 seconds quicker.

“He flew home the last quarter,” American Pharoah’s trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday. “I’ve never had a horse like that. I’ve never seen a horse run like that. I wasn’t around for the Seattle Slews and Secretariats. But what we witnessed ... I was pretty in awe.”

So was a roaring crowd of 90,000 at Belmont Park.

American Pharoah owner Ahmed Zayat believes his horse is a worthy addition to the Triple Crown club. His winning time proves it. The colt’s 2:26.65 clocking for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont is second to Secretariat’s among the 12 Triple Crown winners — and sixth fastest in Belmont history.

“Sometimes I can’t believe I have him in my barn,” Baffert said of the colt who has won seven in a row after a career-opening defeat. “To see this horse finally do something like this ... You have to have a superior horse, and he also has to be tough and be able to handle the grind.”

His acceleration at the end of a race longer than most horses will ever run was extraordinary. Several Triple Crown hopefuls tired in the stretch over the years, including Baffert’s Silver Charm (three-quarters of a length) and Real Quiet (nose). This time, not an issue.

“He made the lead in the first turn and just threw those ears forward,” Baffert said. “That’s a happy horse right there. He was lovin’ it. When he came to the quarter pole, Victor (Espinoza) still had a hold of him after going that far.”

With Frosted, and even Keen Ice, moving up, Baffert thought about what had happened before.

“Turning for home, I was prepared for somebody coming because I’ve gone through this so many times and I was just hoping for once ...” he said.