American Pharoah Strong in Return to Track

American Pharoah went back to the track June 12 at Churchill Downs, jogging for the first time since claiming his title as Triple Crown champion.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert—who was on hand after flying in from California the night before with his wife, Jill, and 10-year-old son, Bode—said he is pleased with the way the 3-year-old colt came out of his historic run for Zayat Stables in the June 6 Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (gr. I).

"Watching him come out of the barn and looking at his weight, he still looks like the picture of health," Baffert said. "It's amazing, that what he's been through, he looks like he's starting to get (even) better now. It just shows you what he's made of.

"And I could tell that the last 60 days he's grown and started to fill out, so I was really happy to see that he's still happy, he enjoyed going to the track today... he's just an incredible animal. I guess you have to be incredible to do what he accomplished."

After arriving back at Churchill the afternoon of June 7 and spending several days walking the shedrow in Baffert's Barn 33 at the Louisville track under the supervision of assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes, American Pharoah jogged a mile the wrong way with regular exercise rider Jorge Alvarez. He was tracked by about 30 members of the media through his morning routine, and after returning to the barn was surrounded again by about 40 lucky fans who managed to get onto the backside to catch a glimpse of him.

The Pioneerof the Nile   colt was brought back out of his stall by Baffert later in the morning to meet Dr. William McGee, who served as a key founder of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute near Lexington. In his 90s, McGee has seen several Triple Crown winners and even treated some when he was a practicing veterinarian.

"I'd hate to pick a winner out of the bunch, but this one comes right up there with them," McGee remarked. "As far as an individual goes, he's got the temperment, and the ability, he's just got everything you like to see in a horse—very durable—and I just wish him the best of luck down the road."

The public will get another look at horse racing's 12th Triple Crown winner the evening of June 13 as American Pharoah parades on the track around 8 p.m. EDT before his connections receive trophies for last month's victory in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). NBCSN will be broadcasting the Churchill card in an 8-10 p.m. live program.

American Pharoah, who won the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I) by seven lengths en route to his 5 1/2-length Belmont score after taking the Derby by a length, will be in Louisville until June 18 before returning to Southern California. Although his connections have not announced where his next start will be, they have said the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Keeneland is the ultimate goal for the final start of his career. American Pharoah will be retired to Ashford Stud when he is done racing.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself," Baffert said. "I talked to Justin Zayat; they have their ideas, I have my ideas, but we're going to just sit down... and I have to see how this horse responds. Usually it takes about two weeks and you start seeing what kind of effect it's had on them.

"But if you see him show up, that means he's going to perform in a big way. I feel more pressure training him now. Now I feel like wrapping him in bubble wrap. But what I want to do is show him with everybody... I'm a trainer but at the same time I'm like a little kid, like a fan, when I see him. I look at him differently. I knew he was great, but he had to show us."