American Pharoah to Run in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga

This would make American Pharoah only the fourth of 12 Triple Crown winners to run in what is known as the “Mid-Summer Derby”.

“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 continued by saying that as long as American Pharoah is happy, he will continue to run him.

“Saratoga here we come!” owner Ahmed Zayat of Teaneck said Sunday, moments after American Pharoah came off the track at Del Mar in California from a workout termed “absolutely brilliant”.

Along with trainer Bob Baffert, Zayat watched American Pharoah work seven furlongs in 1:23.20 in front of about 2,000 fans.

“His bags are packed, ” Baffert said to the DRF. “It was a pretty incredible work and he’s a pretty incredible horse”.

Secretariat didn’t start in the 1973 Travers, instead he tried older horses in the Whitney Handicap and was defeated by Onion.

If Pharoah still looks good Monday following the workout, NYRA will raise the total purse for the Travers from $1.25 million to $1.6 million. But those without tickets are out of luck, according to New York Racing Association.

After winning the Triple Crown in June, American Pharoah made a victorious return to the races in the William Hill Haskell Invitational at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park on August 2.

“I was looking for a reason not to run in the Travers but he didn’t give me one”, Baffert said. Terranova and his wife, Tonja, are former Baffert assistants whom he trusts to house his horses when he ships them to New York.

The trainer also commented on potentially racing against dual champion filly Beholder, who blew away a field of males the previous day in the Gr1 Pacific Classic and could race against American Pharoah if they both run in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The first Triple Crown victor in 37 years will attempt to become just the second horse to capture the Travers Stakes as well after Whirlaway accomplished the feat in 1941.