AMERICAN PHAROAH WORK OUT

Triple Crown champion American Pharoah looked primed and ready at Del Mar the morning of July 23, wowing a large group of spectators with a six-furlong work in 1:11 flat.

Considering how slow the new dirt track has played in the mornings and during racing in the afternoons, the Pioneerof the Nile   colt's fractions were freakish.

The 3-year-old owned by Zayat Stables and trained by Bob Baffert ran furlong splits in :12 2/5, :24 flat, :36 1/5, and :58 4/5, then galloped out to seven furlongs in 1:24 flat and to a mile in 1:38 2/5 with jockey Martin Garcia motionless on his back.

To put his gallop-out in context, Del Mar had two mile dirt races July 22. Both were for fillies and mares, one an optional claiming event and the other a low-level claimer. The times for those races were 1:37.74 and 1:40.07, respectively.

"The other day, he was blowing a little bit," Baffert said of American Pharoah's first breeze at Del Mar July 18, when he covered six furlongs in 1:11 2/5. "He needed that one... The track is demanding, but he doesn't make it look demanding. He's right on course (for the William Hill Haskell Invitational, gr. I, Aug  2). We're going in there with no excuses."

BALAN: American Pharoah Records First Del Mar Breeze

With the Zayat family in attendance, American Pharoah ran his drill easily, making up ground on a pair of workers in company, which initially looked out of reach. 

"Who are those two horses?" owner Ahmed Zayat said as his colt advanced on the duo. "He's going to give me a heart attack."

Both trainer and owner spoke glowingly of the breeze after its conclusion.

"He inhaled them," Zayat said later. "I don't know the time, but it was visually unreal."

"I was really happy with that work," Baffert added. "He did it in hand and he's fun to watch work."

Baffert said American Pharoah will likely work out one more time at Del Mar July 28, before shipping to Monmouth Park July 29. The trainer also said the colt will come back to Del Mar after the Haskell.

"He'll work another half before he leaves," Baffert said. "I wanted to get another work into him, and I do that once in a while, but it's the first time I've done it with a Triple Crown winner."

Few are expected to take on American Pharoah in the Haskell—currently listed as possible are grade I winner Competitive Edge or recent Long Branch Stakes winner Stanford from the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher; Mr. Jordan, who won the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) June 21 at Monmouth; Pegasus Stakes runner-up Tekton, and multiple graded stakes-placed War Story.    

Other possible entrants include Belmont Stakes (gr. I) third-place finisher Keen Ice, Iowa Derby (gr. III) winner Bent On Bourbon, and Good Pick Nick, who finished third in the Pegasus.

READ THE ARTICLE AT BLOOD HORSE MAGAZINE