5/30/15
Last updated: 5/29/15 2:48 PM
American Pharoah gate schools, Keen Ice jogs two miles at
Churchill
 |
American Pharoah galloped under the Twin Spires on Friday
(Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) |
Kentucky Derby
(G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile),
preparing for a sweep of the Triple Crown in the 147th running of the $1.5
million Belmont S. (G1) on June 6, had a schooling session in the Churchill
Downs starting gate and resumed galloping around the one-mile oval on Friday
morning.
To watch YouTube video of American Pharoah’s May 29 gallop please click
here.
Zayat Stables’ Kentucky homebred went to
the fast main track under regular exercise rider Jorge Alvarez at 8:30 a.m.
(EDT)
during Churchill Downs’ special 15-minute training session exclusive to Belmont
Stakes contenders after the renovation break. American Pharoah spent a brief
period standing in the auxiliary starting gate at the top of the stretch and
then galloped 1 1/8 miles, according to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s
assistant Jimmy Barnes.
“Everything was great this morning — no problem,”
Alvarez said. “He looked real professional. This is good what they’re doing by
closing the track for us and letting us train. That makes my job a lot easier.”
|
Barnes said that American Pharoah would likely
gallop 1 1/4 miles on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
“You see everything that you expect to see,” Barnes
said. “Nothing alarming; everything is super positive. This is absolutely normal
going into any race the way that we’re doing. We have really nothing to deal
with other than keeping him happy. Everything is going smooth.”
Baffert is scheduled to return to Louisville, California, from his
Southern California base on Saturday night, and American Pharoah could breeze
Sunday or Monday with the former the more likely of the two, according to
Barnes.
Also at Churchill on Friday, Donegal Racing’s multiple Grade 2-placed Keen Ice
(Curlin) jogged two miles at 8:30 a.m. with regular exercise rider Faustino Aguilar in
the irons for trainer Dale Romans.
The possible 10-horse Belmont Stakes lineup (with jockey and trainer)
currently stands at American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza, Baffert); Carpe Diem
(Giant’s Causeway) (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Frammento (Midshipman) (Mike Smith,
Nick Zito); Frosted (Tapit) (Joel Rosario, Kiaran McLaughlin); Keen Ice (Kent
Desormeaux, Romans); Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky) (TBA, Pletcher);
Materiality (Afleet Alex) (TBA, Pletcher); Mubtaahij (Dubawi) (Irad Ortiz Jr.,
Mike de Kock); Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati) (Gary Stevens, Dallas Stewart); and
The Truth or Else (Yes It’s True) (Edgar Prado, Kenny McPeek).
In other Belmont Stakes news:
 |
The Truth or Else is seeking his first stakes win in the “Test of the Champion”
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) |
Trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Edgar Prado are no strangers
to spoiling Triple Crown bids. It was 13 years ago that they teamed to ruin
trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza’s Triple Crown chance with War
Emblem when Sarava scored a 70-1 shocker in the 2002 Belmont Stakes.
Harold Lerner’s The Truth or Else, who won a first-level
allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park on May 22, entered this year’s
Belmont fray Thursday and hopes to deliver a crushing blow to American Pharoah.
The chestnut colt has a 12-2-1-3, $294,137 career record but, more importantly,
boasts two wins
and a third in three starts over the massive Belmont oval.
On Friday, McPeek
sent a text message with 11 reasons as to why he’s running The Truth or Else in
the Belmont Stakes:
|
My horse loves the Belmont track. (He has) two starts and
two wins over a dry Belmont.
(He is out of a) Colonial Affair mare and should get the
distance.
He is a very sturdy horse. He eats well and is completely
sound. He’s a throwback type of horse.
We’ve got nothing to lose, they pay down to eighth place.
Edgar Prado has been there before and he knows the track
and distance.
The Truth or Else is bigger and stronger than Sarava and
Atigun (third in 2012 Belmont).
Confidence builder last race in a good time and excellent
speed figure. His last two races set him up for this.
Harold and Helen Lerner are from the New York area. This
would be special for them.
The Truth or Else has been based at Belmont most of his
career, we don’t have to ship him.
Weird things happen in the Belmont. Never duck one horse.
American Pharoah could possibly not handle the surface.
I’m completely crazy, but I have no fear of failure. We
only live once. Let’s do this!
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
