Another Good Day for American Pharoah in Preparation for Triple Crown Bid
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Photo of American Pharoah at Churchill Downs by Eclipse Sportswire
Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner American Pharoah galloped 1 ½ miles on the Churchill Downs main track on Saturday as he continues preparations for the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
The Pioneerof the Nile colt will attempt to become only the 12th 3-year-old to sweep the three jewels of the Triple Crown in the history of U.S. Thoroughbred racing and the first since Affirmed in 1978.
“It was another good day,” said Jorge Alvarez, American Pharoah’s regular exercise rider. “He was a little more aggressive this morning and wanted to do more, but I just kept doing my thing. I’m feeling more excited than nervous. We just feel that we have the right horse and he’s doing well. We're all staying positive.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s assistant Jimmy Barnes was happy with what he saw from the dual classic winner.
“We’re back to our normal training routine and he looked good again,” Barnes said. “We feel no nerves; we’re just doing our job. We get more anxious the closer to the race, but there's a difference between anxious and nervous.”
Baffert is scheduled to fly into Louisville Saturday night from his Southern California base to oversee his string of 12 horses stabled at Churchill the following morning. Baffert confirmed Saturday morning that American Pharoah would gallop Sunday and breeze at Churchill Downs on Monday.
AMERICAN PHAROAH’S SATURDAY GALLOP
Video courtesy of Churchill Downs
Donegal Racing’s Keen Ice, seventh in the Kentucky Derby, also exercised at Churchill on Saturday. He galloped two miles on the main track under exercise rider Faustino Aguilar for trainer Dale Romans.
“We’re going into the race with no physical excuses,” Romans said. “If he’s good enough then he’ll win. He’s fit and he’s ready to go the distance.”
Romans expects to breeze Keen Ice a half-mile on Tuesday morning before leaving for Belmont.
Possible Belmont Stakes Field
Horse
Trainer
Most Recent Race
American Pharoah
Bob Baffert
Won Preakness
Carpe Diem
Todd Pletcher
10th in Kentucky Derby
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
The Truth or Else
Ken McPeek
Won allowance