‘Pharoah Weather’ Greets Triple Crown Hopeful, Baffert at Belmont

American Pharoah arrives at Belmont Park on Tuesday after making the trip from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. (All photos courtesy of NYRA)
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
ELMONT, N.Y. – For those searching for omens, a light rain fell as the van carrying Triple Crown threat American Pharoah, with a police escort in front and behind, pulled up to Stable 1 at Belmont Park on Tuesday afternoon to complete a five-hour-plus trip from Churchill Downs.
Trainer Bob Baffert quickly proclaimed it “Pharoah weather,” a reference to his horse’s 6 ¼-length romp on a sloppy track in the Rebel Stakes and his seven-length laugher in the Preakness Stakes. But he also made sure to say, “He’ll run well on anything.”
AMERICAN PHAROAH SETTLES IN AT BELMONT

American Pharoah takes a six-race winning streak into his hoped-for date with destiny in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes as he attempts to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed in 1978. His victories have come on a variety of surfaces, at Del Mar and Santa Anita Park in California, Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Churchill Downs in Louisville and Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
But no venue is quite like enormous Belmont Park. No race is quite like the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes, the Test of the Champion. That led Billy Turner, the last living trainer of a Triple Crown winner in Seattle Slew in 1977, to express surprise that Baffert did not send his prized colt to New York sooner in order to give him a workout on the track and more time to acclimate.
Baffert returned American Pharoah to Churchill Downs after the Preakness rather than immediately pressing on to New York from Pimlico in Baltimore, which was the path that Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve took.
“Every trainer has a comfort zone and that’s my comfort zone,” Baffert said. “Churchill Downs, I like that surface. American Pharoah gets over that track really well and our main concern is to keep him healthy and happy.”
Baffert added: “I’ve had so much luck shipping out of Churchill Downs to New York and won numerous Grade 1 races and they never looked like they were tired. Every trainer has their own philosophy and their comfort level, and I feel more confident doing that than if I was up there just sitting around with them.”
BAFFERT WITH AMERICAN PHAROAH

Dallas Stewart, who conditions Tale of Verve, took the opposite approach. He left his family and his racing operation behind in Louisville to work with his colt at Belmont Park for the two weeks leading to the big race.
Frosted and Materiality, two other prime contenders, have Belmont as their home base. Frosted is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and Materiality is under the care of Todd Pletcher, who also will start Peter Pan Stakes winner Madefromlucky.
Stewart said he wanted his horse to feel as though he had “settled in” to his new surroundings.
“Let’s face it, it’s different,” he said of Belmont Park. “It’s different from Churchill Downs, it’s different from the Fair Grounds, it’s different from Pimlico. He’s going to train hard over it and he’s going to train consistently.”
Baffert’s emphasis on keeping American Pharoah healthy and happy appears to be working to this point. The youngster raised hopes for the first Triple Crown in 37 years by zipping five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Monday, a workout that drew rave reviews as Baffert makes his fourth try at the historic sweep. Plans call for American Pharoah to jog on Wednesday morning with gallops tentatively planned for each of the two days after that.
“I won’t do much,” Baffert said. “He’s pretty well prepared.”
Baffert noted that every horse is different, requiring training regimens to reflect those differences.
“What is right and what is wrong, after the race we’ll discuss that,” Stewart said.
Possible Belmont Stakes Field

Horse

Trainer

Most Recent Race

American Pharoah

Bob Baffert

Won Preakness

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