Pharoah Set for Monday Work

GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) will put in his final work ahead of the June 6 GI Belmont S. Monday morning at Churchill Downs. “He looks very healthy and he’s happy; he looks like he’s getting ready to work,” trainer Bob Baffert said after the Zayat Stable’s runner galloped Sunday (video). 
“He knows that he’s getting close to a work, so it’s getting pretty tough on him. When he hit the quarter pole, he [Jorge Alvarez] said he wanted to take off so he’ll breeze [Monday] at 8:30 during the break. We’ll probably leave at the half-mile pole sort of like we did last week, and that should be it for him.” 
Monday’s work will be American Pharoah’s second since winning the May 16 GI Preakness S. He breezed four furlongs in :48 last Tuesday. 
“I didn’t want to wait two weeks to work him [after the Preakness] because after the GI Arkansas Derby when I worked him, he was a little too fresh,” Baffert said. “He was going faster than we wanted him to. This last week, he was more controllable, which is where we want him a little bit.” 
Bob Baffert did admit to some nerves ahead of American Pharoah’s Monday work. 
“I don’t sleep well the night before a work,” Baffert said. “Tomorrow morning I’ll be a little nervous for the work, hoping that it’s going to go as planned. The horse is showing me that he wants to do something and that he’s happy. As long as he’s enjoying what he’s doing, that’s what you want to see. I’m looking forward to it and hope that it goes like it did last week; it went really smooth and you can tell he’s really enjoying it. Martin [Garcia] is here to work him and he knows what we’re doing.” 
In addition to American Pharoah, Belmont possibles are: Carpe Diem (Giant’s Causeway); Frammento (Midshipman); Frosted (Tapit); Keen Ice (Curlin); Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky); Materiality (Afleet Alex); Mubtaahij (Ire)(Dubawi {Ire}); Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati); and The Truth Or Else (Yes It’s True).