American Pharoah puts in strong work for Belmont Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Anybody looking for a reason to side against American Pharoah in his quest to win the Triple Crown in the June 6 Belmont Stakes surely couldn’t have found one after watching his half-mile breeze Tuesday morning from Churchill Downs.

Even on the live feed provided by the track, it was clear to see American Pharoah looked every bit as good on Tuesday breezing over the Churchill Downs surface as he did in the final week leading up to his victory in the Kentucky Derby. With jockey Martin Garcia aboard, American Pharoah appeared a picture of health and was about as relaxed as could be as he made his way around to the half-mile pole alongside the pony.

Ears pricked from the outset, American Pharoah just cruised through a steady series of 12-second eighth-mile splits before galloping out with a ton of energy around the turn. The gallop-out was perhaps the most impressive part of the maintenance drill, which went about as perfectly as Garcia or trainer Bob Baffert could have hoped. Churchill Downs clockers timed him in 48 for the half, with a gallop-out of 1:00.40 for five furlongs, up six furlongs in 1:13.20. American Pharoah is scheduled for one more work at Churchill Downs either Sunday or Monday, according to Baffert, before shipping to New York on Tuesday.