American Pharoah Takes to Track as a Triple Crown Winner

American Pharoah trains for the first time since becoming racing's 12th Triple Crown winner. (Photos by Melissa Bauer-Herzog)
Returning to Churchill Downs on Friday morning at 7 a.m., Bob Baffert followed American Pharoah out to the track for the colt's first journey out of the shedrow since arriving Churchill on Sunday morning.
The colt, who had been hand-walked all week jogged one lap around the track and tested exercise rider Georgie Alvarez by breaking into a canter multiple times during the jog. While still a little tired from the Triple Crown grind, it was easy to see that American Pharoah was happy to be back on the track.
Standing by the gap during the jog, Bob Baffert and ex-jockey Jerry Bailey chatted while American Pharoah was on the track. Many people who hadn't had a chance to tell Baffert congratulations yet joined in on the conversation, including Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who stayed and talked with Baffert even after American Pharoah had left the track.
LUKAS AND BAILEY TALK TO BAFFERT FAMILY

"Watching him come out of the barn and looking at his weight, he still looks like a picture of health," Baffert said when he returned to the barn. "It's amazing what he's been through that he looks like he's starting to get better now. It just shows you what he's made of. I could tell during the last 60 days that he's grown and he's starting to fill out so I was really happy to see that he is still happy and 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."
Baffert is still trying to soak in everything that happened over the past week. Standing next to American Pharoah's Triple Crown sign on the wall of his Churchill Downs barn, he admitted that he never thought he'd be able to win the Triple Crown.
AMERICAN PHAROAH POSES FOR FANS

"I still can't believe that this sign is on this wall. I was thinking I'll never be able to accomplish that. I've brought too many nice horses here and they couldn't close the deal. But it took something really special, like American Pharoah. I always thought there were no excuses with him. If they're great they can do it, like we always thought in the past, and he earned it. The way he did it, I think he did it the right way. He did it with authority," Baffert said.
American Pharoah is scheduled to parade at Churchill Downs on Saturday night at about 8:10 p.m. ET during a card that includes the Stephen Foster and Fleur de Lis, which are both "Win and You're In" races for the Breeders' Cup. American Pharoah parading and the races will be shown on NBC Sports Network starting at 8 p.m.