Sambora wasn’t able to attend the Belmont Stakes on June 6 where American Pharoah became the first Triple Crown victor in 37 years because his daughter was graduating from school but he will be watching the .75-milion Haskell Invitational later this afternoon with the Zayat family, who owns the colt.
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The horse, who is soon headed for a career at stud, drew a crowd late last week as he worked out at the Oceanport, N.J., track and he’s the prohibitive 1-5 favorite in the $1.75 million Haskell, a Grade 1 stakes race with a 5:52 p.m. EDT post time.
The Haskell will be American Pharoah’s first start since he swept the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.
American Pharoah will be running in the 48th Haskell Invitational later today.
“He’s holding his form and that’s the whole key after all he’s been through”, said California-based Baffert. “He had to show me something like that to put him on the plane and ship to Jersey”.
“The way he’s prepared, he’s ready for this race”.
Baffert said he was on a flight with the comedy duo Cheech and Chong recently.
From a beauty salon in Beverly Hills to an intersection in Zurich people are talking about American Pharoah.
“(Baffert) has also indicated, though, he needs to let the horse speak to him, ” Kay said. “He is getting stronger. I don’t like the term ‘super-horse, ‘ because they can all get beat but I’ve never had a horse move as effortlessly as he does while moving as fast as he does”.
Upstart, the second choice in the field, ran 18 in American Pharoah’s Kentucky Derby victory.
“He didn’t pick up his feet”. “That’s why we run him”. “We did the right thing and, hopefully, it pays dividends”.
“It’s going to be an incredible day for Saratoga (Race Course), for the town of Saratoga, for New York state (if Pharoah comes)”, Violette said. Assistant trainer Jim Barnes said the sound of someone running in flip-flops frightened the horse, even though he was wearing his customary ear plugs.
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If American Pharoah appears in the Travers, the winner’s share would increase from the current $675,000 guaranteed to $850,000.
