Travers next race for Triple Crown victor American Pharoah

Owner Ahmed Zayat, who was present for the workout, tweeted, “Saratoga here we come!!!!!!!” from his account.

His trainer Bob Baffert told Blood-Horse “It was very positive”.

Triple Crown victor American Pharoah is on his way to the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, where a sold-out crowd is likely to turn one of racing’s most historic tracks into a festival to remember.

According to the Times Union, Zayat stated that American Pharoah, who has won eight straight races, looked fabulous at his workout on Wednesday in California.

It’s a topic Baffert all but refuses to discuss. His “Onion” remark reveals he’s well aware of Saratoga’s reputation.

“This is a great day for racing fans in Saratoga, across the State of New York and throughout our nation”, said Christopher Kay, president and chief executive of NYRA, in a statement.

“He hasn’t regressed for all that he’s done”, Baffert said. “We want this to be America’s horse, and I promised two things after he won the Triple Crown: We would open our barn to everyone, and if he’s happy and healthy, we’d keep racing him”. Baffert has said all along that the horse needs to be perfectly fit and ready before considering the cross-country trip to a track known as “The Graveyard of Champions”.

And consider this piece of history: Only one of the first 11 Triple Crown winners – Whirlaway in 1941 – went on to win the Travers.

The crew of American Pharoah will be in Saratoga by mid-week. The win marked his eighth in a row, seven of them Grade Is.

Assistant Jimmy Barnes typically travels to New York to oversee his horses, too.

Saratoga is capping attendance for Saturday’s card at 50,000 fans with all tickets already sold out.

American Pharoah walked the wrong way past Del Mar’s grandstand Sunday to applause from hundreds.

The Travers purse is now $1.5 million.

American Pharoah has been imperious this season, adding the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational to his Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes haul easily last time out.

Affirmed beat Alydar to the wire in 1978, but was disqualified for interference on the grandstand turn and placed second, giving the victory to his fierce rival, who finished second to Affirmed in all three Triple Crown races.

He breezed four furlongs in 47.60 at Del Mar last Sunday.