Baffert Prepared For Triple Crown Attempt

American Pharoah breezed on Tuesday in preparation for the Belmont Stakes. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
Trainer Bob Baffert has a deeper understanding of the enormous challenge presented by the Triple Crown than most others in the sport. He has been through this three times before, and he is leaning heavily on that experience to make the fourth try the charm with American Pharoah.
“I really feel like it’s a different vibe with this horse,” Baffert said during a national conference call on Thursday. “I feel mellowed out a little more. I know what I am dealing with and what to expect, and all of my staff has been through it.”
Some of Baffert’s newfound perspective almost surely stems from a major heart attack he suffered three years ago in Dubai that led to emergency surgery and major changes in his schedule and lifestyle. But he also knows what it takes to prepare potential Triple Crown champions as they attempt to sweep three races at different distances and different tracks in the testing span of five weeks.
Time has taught him that each horse is an individual and he must be flexible with his conditioning program. He noted that Silver Charm, who was run down by Touch Gold in the 1997 Belmont Stakes, a challenger it is believed he never saw coming since jockey Chris McCarron shrewdly kept him out of Silver Charm’s vision, needed a fair amount of work during the three weeks from the Preakness to the Belmont.
Baffert lamented Real Quiet’s nose defeat to Victory Gallop in the Belmont the following year. “He was in front one step before the wire and one step after the wire,” the trainer said. “Just bad luck.”
Baffert compared American Pharoah to Real Quiet in believing both need a light touch in their preparation for the mile-and-a-half “Test of the Champion.” He said of the two youngsters, “Real Quiet was like Pharoah, easy to maintain.” He said he entered the Belmont with dwindling hopes for War Emblem in 2002 because the horse was not maintaining his weight and was a one-dimensional burner.
Baffert was at Churchill Downs on Tuesday to see American Pharoah drill four furlongs in 48 seconds and maintained radio communication with jockey Martin Garcia throughout the drill. Although Garcia typically works the prized colt, Victor Espinoza has the assignment on race day. Espinoza is making his third attempt at a Triple Crown.
“My job is to have him prepared to bring his ‘A’ game,” Baffert said.
Interestingly, he decided the best way to accomplish that was to return American Pharoah to Churchill Downs, site of his one-length Kentucky Derby score, after the son of Pioneerof the Nile roared off by seven lengths in the Preakness on a sloppy surface at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 16.  American Pharoah is not expected to arrive at Belmont Park until next Tuesday.
Billy Turner, who conditioned 1977 Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew, said he was “very, very surprised” by that planning. He believes horses are best served by acclimating them to the vast Belmont Park oval as early as possible.     
Baffert said of his decision to have American Pharoah do the vast majority of his pre-Belmont work at Churchill Downs: “I think every trainer has a comfort zone and that’s my comfort zone. I like that surface. American Pharoah gets over the track really well. My main concern is to keep him healthy and happy.”
Possible Belmont Stakes Field

Horse

Trainer

Most Recent Race

American Pharoah

Bob Baffert

Won Preakness

Carpe Diem

Todd Pletcher

10th in Kentucky Derby

The Truth or Else

Ken McPeek

Won allowance 

Frammento

Nick Zito

11th in Kentucky Derby

Frosted

Kiaran McLaughlin

4th in Kentucky Derby

Keen Ice

Dale Romans

7th in Kentucky Derby

Madefromlucky

Todd Pletcher

Won Peter Pan Stakes

Materiality

Todd Pletcher

6th in Kentucky Derby

Mubtaahij

Mike de Kock

8th in Kentucky Derby

Tale of Verve

Dallas Stewart

2nd in Preakness