American Pharoah 1-5 favourite for Travers

The stall planned for American Pharoah is shown at Saratoga Race Course, Tuesday, August 25, 2015, in Saratoga Springs, New York Trainer Bob Baffert says American Pharoah “looks great” two days before the Triple Cro…

American Pharoah showed his readiness for the mile-and-a-quarter Travers with the kind of eye-opening workout he is renowned for.

American Pharoah will look to make the Travers, which is celebrated as the “mid-summer Derby and will carry a ramped-up purse of $1.6-million”, his ninth consecutive victory.

After the barrier draw on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) Frosted was made the second choice at 6-1 and Texas Red the third elect at 8-1.

After becoming the first thoroughbred to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, in the very short five-week span, American Pharoah earned a near two-month rest before fortifying his claim as horse racing’s biggest sensation in decades with a 2 1/4-length victory at the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey, on August 2.

“You know, hopefully everything will go smooth but as far as everything goes, it’s business as usual, day to day”, said Terranova. “We don’t take anything for granted”. “We’re thrilled he’s coming”.

But it has been clear since the Haskell that owner Ahmed Zayat and his son and racing manager, Justin, viewed the Travers as a prestigious race they did not want to miss in their effort to showcase what appears to be the horse of a lifetime.

Baffert won the 2001 Travers with Preakness and Belmont victor Point Given, but is 1 for 5 overall.

John Shirreffs, who trained the great Zenyatta, will send out Smart Transition with John Velazquez aboard to try and pull an upset. I never thought I’d get to this level of racing. He believes American Pharoah’s latest workout suggests the challenge of overtaking him may be greater than ever.

A sellout crowd of 50,000 will jam the Spa to get a look at the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown. The only one to win was Whirlaway in 1941.

“The horse is really doing well”, Baffert said.

Along with trainer Bob Baffert, Zayat watched American Pharoah work seven furlongs in 1:23.20 in front of about 2,000 fans. Yet, I doubt historians will agree with Wayne Hughes and rank her “as the best filly” of modern times, even if she beats American Pharoah in the BC Classic. After that race, he will be retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.