American Pharoah Resumes Galloping

Zayat Stables' Triple Crown winner American Pharoah took his training up a notch June 13, galloping 1 1/4 miles on the Churchill Downs main track after the renovation break at 8:30 a.m. EDT.

Exercise rider Jorge Alvarez was in the irons for the first gallop on the homebred son of Pioneerof the Nile   since his 5 1/2-length triumph in the June 6 Belmont Stakes Presented by DraftKings (gr. I), where he became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Triple Crown.

"He went great," Alvarez said. "He was a little fresh and we are very happy with the way he is training."

American Pharoah's regular rider, Victor Espinoza, was aboard stablemate Whiskey Ticket while the Triple Crown winner was galloping, and liked what he saw.

"I was in the gate and then I was waiting for (American Pharoah) to go by me," Espinoza said. "He looks pretty good. He looks like he hasn't run."

Espinoza has had a busy week after winning the Triple Crown, making appearances on Live! With Kelly and Michael, the Today Show, and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, among others.

"It's been a pretty crazy week, but it's been fun," Espinoza said. "My life has changed quite a bit since I won the Triple Crown."

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert watched the horse from the main gap on the Churchill backstretch.

"He needed to do something," Baffert said. "We had to kind of take the edge off him a little bit for what he's about to do tonight, but for what he's been through, he's been doing really well. We couldn't be any happier."

American Pharoah is scheduled to parade on the main track following the fifth race on Churchill's 11-race card Saturday night.