Pharoah’ Gallops at Churchill

Dual Classic winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) turned in his first gallop since his runaway score in last Saturday’s GI Preakness S. at Churchill Downs Friday. The Zayat Stables homebred galloped 1 3/16 miles at 8:30 a.m. following the renovation break with regular exercise rider Jorge Alvarez aboard. American Pharoah, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, will attempt to become the sport’s 12th Triple Crown winner in the GI Belmont S. June 6. 

“It went nice, didn’t seem like he was tired or anything,” Alvarez said. “He came back pretty much the same [after Derby]. So far, no difference.” Alvarez was also the exercise rider for American Pharoah’s sire, 2009 GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile. “They are both good horses, but since Day One this horse [American Pharoah] has covered so much ground,” he said. 

Baffert’s head assistant Jimmy Barnes was also pleased with American Pharoah’s first gallop since annexing the second leg of the Triple Crown. “It went very nice,” Barnes said. “He just had a 1 3/16-mile gallop today, but it went very nice. He’s perfect–just the way he always is–so we’ll gallop a little bit further maybe tomorrow [Saturday] and then by Sunday we’ll be back to his normal gallop at a mile-and-a-half.”