By Christie DeBernardis
It was a bit of an unusual scene on the Monmouth Park backside just before 7:00 a.m. as a crowd began to form outside of trainer Kelly Breen's Barn 12. Onlookers leaned around each other and ducked under rails to try and get a glimpse of the great American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) being saddled for his morning gallop.
At 7:20 a.m., with 10 minutes to go until the Triple Crown winner was expected to enter the track, the rail and trackside viewing stands were already lined with media and horsemen with their cameras and cell phones at the ready. The champion stepped onto the freshly harrowed track promptly at 7:30 a.m. and galloped 1 3/8 miles under regular exercise rider Jorge Alvarez. His presence was announced over the loudspeakers to a crowd of 5,000 excited fans, who swarmed the grandstand area to get a sneak peak at the 12th Triple Crown winner. (Video)
He was followed by GI Belmont S. third-place finisher Keen Ice (Curlin), who was on the muscle and looking like a million bucks as he galloped strongly past. Also on track for the special Haskell time slot were GIII Pegasus S. hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Mr. Jordan (Kantharos) and recent Monmouth allowance winner Top Clearance (Majestic Warrior).
Seeming perfectly at home over the Oceanport oval, American Pharoah was pulled up on the backside, turned around and jogged quietly off the gap. He returned to Barn 12, where a large group had already gathered around the barriers surrounding the bath area.
The popular colt was happy to oblige his paparazzi, posing several times to give photographers plenty of opportunities for the perfect photo. Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes was on the shank as Alvarez draped the Triple Crown scrim over the Classic winner. He was then passed off to groom Eduardo Luna, who walked the sophomore several times around the shedrow.
At 12:30 p.m. another crowd of adoring fans had gathered to see American Pharoah, but this time they lined the tunnel and Monmouth Park paddock waiting to see the big colt school before the first race. Inside the paddock racetrack officials and the media anxiously awaited their next chance to capture an image of Bob Baffert's most famous trainee.
People swarmed the fence, cameras at the ready as a bay horse emerged from the tunnel, but it turned out to be Bobby V. (Pleasantly Perfect), the one-horse in the first race. The rest of the runners in the first race filed in behind him leaving the crowd restless as they squinted in the direction of the tunnel. A few minutes later, American Pharoah could be seen in the shadows of the tunnel with Alvarez on a shank to his right, Luna on a shank to his left and Barnes close beside them.
Only a handful of media noticed as the colt spooked and crow-hopped at what turned out to be a group of over eager fans running towards the rail yelling his name. Alvarez lost his balance after lunging forward in an attempt to restrain the colt and fell, but quickly jumped to his feet and the group entered the paddock without further incident.
Fans cheered and chanted “Pharoah, Pharoah” as the gleaming bay made his way around the walkway and into the saddling area. He stood and walked calmly around the saddling area until the first race was over to avoid further incident. The sophomore was then lead around the circle and back out of the tunnel to a roar of applause.
“It was wonderful, wasn't it?” Barnes said after the schooling session.
Dennis Drazin, advisor to Monmouth Park's operators Darby Dan Development, expressed similar sentiments in the paddock following the schooling session.
“Today was really amazing,” Drazin said. “I came out this morning and the traffic was unbelievable to get here. There were 5,000 people in the stands just trying to take a look at [American Pharoah] and now we had a pretty crowd to watch the horse schooling in the paddock. The important part is that New Jersey benefits from all of this. It is a big economic boost to the state. After there wasn't a Triple Crown winner for 37 years, we were fortunate enough to get American Pharoah to come to Monmouth Park.”
Drazin added, “What this means for racing here in New Jersey, is that they know we need help. They are committed to try and get us some revenue funding through casino expansion, which won't be on the ballot this year, but will be next year. Monmouth Park probably won't get a casino, but we will get a share in the revenues generated from casinos in North Jersey.”
American Pharoah is scheduled to gallop again Saturday during the special Haskell time slot at 7:30 a.m.
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