Pharoah’ to Get Rebel Yell

For the second time since 2010, the reigning Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old gets his sophomore season started in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. 

The Bob Baffert-trained Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike) overcame a tough trip to just tag Noble’s Promise (Cuvee) five years ago, and today, Zayat Stables’ American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) makes the first of two programmed appearances ahead of what connections hope will result in a trip to Louisville for the GI Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday of May. 

Fifth behind Om (Munnings) as the 7-5 chalk in what has become an amazingly key Del Mar maiden Aug. 9, American Pharoah was audaciously stepped up into the GI Del Mar Futurity 25 days later and made light work of that bunch, defeating Calculator (In Summation) by 4 3/4 lengths. Stretched to two turns for the first time in Santa Anita’s 
GI FrontRunner S. Sept. 27, he never gave his rivals a chance, dictating a comfortable pace before kicking home 3 1/4 lengths to the good of Calculator and Texas Red (Afleet Alex). Withdrawn on the eve of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with a bruise of his left front foot, he remained in the barn as Texas Red ran away with the race, further franking the FrontRunner form. 

He returned to the worktab Feb. 2 and has since recorded a half-dozen drills, including a race-like six panels from the gate in a freakish 1:10 2/5 Mar. 6. He also figures the lone speed of a short field and should handle these, provided his fitness holds out. 

Though he may be limited in what he can accomplish this afternoon, Harold Lerner’s The Truth Or Else (Yes It’s True) has some things going for him. A maiden winner in a busy seven-race campaign at two, the son of dual Grade III victress Lakenheath (Colonial Affair) managed placings–albeit it distant ones–behind Daredevil (More Than Ready) and Upstart (Flatter) in the GI Champagne S. and in back of Blofeld (Quality Road) and El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) in the GII Nashua S. ahead of a sixth in the GII Remsen S. Lasix went on for the first time in this track’s GIII Southwest S. Feb. 22, and the colt far exceeded expectations with a runner-up effort to Far Right (Notional) after making a bold move into contention. 

Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky) has shown marked improvement since being stretched to two turns. Runner-up in a Monmouth maiden last August, he belied odds of 10-1 to graduate going 8 ½ furlongs over the Gulfstream main track Dec. 23. After an interest in the colt was purchased by Everett Dobson’s Cheyenne Stables, the chestnut returned 1-5 to his backers for a workmanlike 1 1/2-length success in Hallandale Feb. 4. John Velazquez, in to pilot Untapable (Tapit) in the GII Azeri S., retains the call for the Todd Pletcher barn.