Keen Ice breezes six furlongs, American Pharoah walks

Keen Ice will be looking to give trainer Dale Romans a second classic win (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography) Keen Ice (Curlin), who finished a troubled seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1), breezed six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 over a fast track Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for a showdown with Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the $1.5 million Belmont S. (G1) on June 6. Keen Ice was the only horse on track during the special 8:30-8:45 a.m. (EDT) training period for Churchill Downs-based Belmont contenders. Tammy Fox was aboard and guided the colt through eighth-mile fractions of :12 2/5, :24 2/5, :36 1/5, :48 3/5 and 1:00 3/5 before galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27 4/5. “He’s doing well,” trainer Dale Romans said. “He’s picking it up every pole and had a lot of energy galloping out. He has just been so good even before the Derby and he just keeps on improving. I think the further the better. A mile and a half shouldn’t be a problem. I really like my chances.

“American Pharoah is definitely head and shoulders above the rest of them in
class, but I know we do want to go a mile and a half. I know he’s feeling good;
he’s sitting on all cylinders. It’s just a matter of if he’s good enough to beat
him.”

Fox also spoke highly of Keen Ice, giving Romans two thumbs up as he came off
the track.

“When I give two thumbs up that means that they’re really ready to go,” Fox
said. “He is as ready as he can be. Dale’s done a great job with him.”

Kentucky Derby and Preakness (G1) winner American Pharoah got a day of rest
and relaxation after breezing a half-mile in :48 on Tuesday. He did not go to
the main track for exercise Wednesday. Instead, he walked around the shed row in
Barn 33 where trainer Bob Baffert keeps his string of horses at Churchill Downs.

“Everything looked very good this morning,” said Jimmy Barnes, Baffert’s
chief assistant.

Barnes also said American Pharoah would return to the track Thursday at 8:30
a.m. for a clockwise jog around the one-mile oval.

In other Belmont news, Conquest Curlinate (Curlin) jogged and galloped one
mile around the main track Wednesday. Norman Casse, assistant to father Mark,
said that the sophomore would likely breeze Friday or Saturday morning depending
on the weather.

In other Belmont news:

With Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah and three other Belmont contenders
stabled on the grounds, Churchill Downs is offering a special 8:30-8:45 a.m.
training period for those horses through Tuesday. Additionally, racing fans are
invited to watch those colts train from the first floor of the facility,
including the new Courtyard area, free of charge.

Churchill Downs will open its Gate 17 entrance between 8-9 a.m. each morning
through Tuesday so the public can watch American Pharoah along with rivals
Conquest Curlinate and Keen Ice prepare for the 1 1/2-mile third jewel of the
Triple Crown.

Churchill Downs’ concessionaire Levy Restaurants will have coffee, juice,
soda, water and doughnuts available for purchase near the Aristides Garden.
Also, video of the exercises will be shown on the Big Board and infield video
screens.

Those unable to attend can watch an online live stream of the daily exercises
at http://www.kentuckyderby.com/workouts/live from 8:30-8:45 a.m. through
Tuesday. Also, clips of the activity will be uploaded on the Kentucky Derby
YouTube channel. A graphic with each horse’s name will appear on the screen with
the corresponding horse, although a majority of the focus will be on American
Pharaoh.

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