by Ben Massam
Zayat Stables' American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), champion juvenile male of 2014, recorded his first workout of 2015 yesterday morning at Santa Anita, a three-furlong move in :36.20. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said the ease at which his trainee completed the work was impressive.
“He went three-eighths and he did it in hand,” Baffert commented. “He looked really good doing it.”
American Pharoah earned a pair of Grade I victories in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner S. last year, but was sidelined with an injury just days before he was to go postward as the favorite in the GI Breeders Cup Juvenile.
Monday's work was merely another step in a series of preparations for his return to the races, but Baffert notes that the ridgling naturally maintains a high base level of fitness. With no definitive timetable announced, he plans to let the dual Grade I winner indicate when he is ready to return.
“He really didn't lose too much condition at all,” the trainer offered. “The way his body type is, he'll get ready really quick.”
In the meantime, Baffert has the task of managing a number of other intriguing sophomore prospects in his barn.
This past Sunday, Baffert saddled Peachtree Stable's Lord Nelson (Pulpit) to a hard-fought victory in the GII San Vicente S. at Santa Anita. The colt dug in to edge out last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile victor Texas Red (Afleet Alex) by a neck in the seven-furlong test.
“He came out of [the San Vicente] really well,” remarked Baffert. “It was a good effort and it kind of looked like he took off again. It looked like he was going to get beat, but he found another gear. He's really maturing and it was the perfect race coming off [the Nov. 29 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.], where he stumbled and got shuffled way back–that was really a disastrous race.”
Although Lord Nelson has yet to register a win in two tries at route distances–including a fourth-place finish behind American Pharoah in the GI FrontRunner S.–Baffert plans to return his charge to an extended distance in the near future.
“He's been training forwardly and he'll definitely go two turns in a stakes race somewhere. That's the plan with him.”
The three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer will also send out Dortmund (Big Brown), carrying the colors of Kaleem Shah, in the GII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita this Saturday, Feb. 7. Established as the individual favorite in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, the undefeated colt closed out his juvenile campaign with a win in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 20.
“He's been training very well and we're all set for the weekend,” offered Baffert. “He'll do a little bit tomorrow and he's ready to roll.”
While countless years of experience have surely made the push toward the first Saturday in May seem familiar to Baffert, the trainer still finds the process to be unique.
“It's an exciting time of year,” he concluded. “You get some races into these horses and see which ones start separating themselves over the next couple months. The Derby is our Super Bowl, and you're just trying to get them there at their own pace.”
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