Triple Crown champion American Pharoah breezed a half-mile in :47.60 under rider Martin Garcia Sunday morning at Del Mar with an estimated 800 people looking on from the grandstand.

 

Trainer Bob Baffert and owner Ahmed Zayat and his family also monitored the work from the grandstand and came away pleased.

 

“He went nice; like he always does,” Baffert said.  “I think this empty track today (Del Mar closed the track for training between 7:45 and 7:55 to all except Pacific Classic horses and Triple Crown winners) allowed him to relax some. When he’s got horses all around him, he gets keyed up.”

 

American Pharoah came onto the track at approximately 7:45 with Baffert assistant Jim Barnes alongside on his stable pony. They backtracked to the finish line, then jogged to just past the six-furlong pole. American Pharoah galloped up to the half mile marker, then went into work mode, coming down the stretch to applause and cheers from the crowd.

 

Official split times from the clockers were: 12.40, :24.60, :35.80, and :59.80  and 1:13.60 for six furlongs on the gallop out.

 

“It went super good,” Garcia said back at the stable area. “Bob just told me to work him like we usually do and make sure we get a little bit out of it. He was just cruising. It’s like he’s still getting better and better. This horse is unbelievable.”

 

Head clocker John Malone noted the horse was well within himself for the move. American Pharoah’s work was categorized as “breezing” (without urging), a sparingly-used designation by Southern California circuit clockers.

 

“I think he’s doing fine,” Baffert said.  “I’m always checking with his riders – George (Alvarez), Manny (Avila) who gets on him on his (George’s) day off, Martin (Garcia) and asking if they feel anything different; asking if he’s done anything that is a change. But all the reports are good. Everything they’ve said so far has been positive. Actually, it’s amazing how this horse has held his form for so long.”

 

Baffert reflected briefly on the overall American Pharoah experience.

 

“The ride (with the horse) has been good, but I can feel the pressure,” Baffert said.  “I’ve got a lot of responsibility with him – to the racing industry, to everyone. I’ve got to make sure he’s 100%. I’ve got to focus on the horse from here on out, make sure everything is right for him.

 

“Today (in his work) he looked like the ‘Pharoah’ we know. His ears were up and forward, he was looking around checking things out; doing it easy. It’s what we want to see.

 

“I’ll work him again next week. We’ll see when. Then we’ll probably know what we’re going to do next.”

 

The most likely next start for American Pharoah would be the Grade I $1.6 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, August 29. The $1 million TVG Pacific Classic, the signature event of the Del Mar summer meeting, is next Saturday, August 22. Baffert was asked about the possibility of parading American Pharoah for the crowd on Pacific Classic Day.

 

“If I was sure that we weren’t going to the Travers, then it would be a no-brainer,” Baffert said. “But when you put them in front of a crowd it can take something out of them. I’m just not sure about that yet.”

 

Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner Hard Aces worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 Sunday morning under exercise rider Julio Vera for trainer John Sadler. It was the final serious exercise for the 5-year-old son of Hard Spun before Saturday’s $1 million TVG Pacific Classic.

 

“Last work, we’re ready,” Sadler said.

 

Hard Aces worked in company with stablemate Scooter Bird*, as had been the case for his penultimate work a week earlier when he covered seven furlongs in 1:26.60. Clockers commented that Hard Aces was “best of the team.”

“He’s never been a good work horse, he doesn’t ever work fast,” Sadler said. “But this was a good work for him and he’ll be fine for the race.”

 

Sadler’s other Pacific Classic entrant, Class Leader, worked seven furlongs on Saturday in 1:26.40. Mike Smith has been named to ride the son of Smart Strike.

 

In other Pacific Classic news: Trainer Bob Baffert said the race was still the preferred option, over the Grade II $250,000 Pat O’Brien on Pacific Classic Day, for Bayern. A decision will be made based on the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner’s work scheduled for Monday.

 

 

 

Sharla Rae came out of her victory in Saturday’s  Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks in “excellent” condition, Leandro Mora, assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill said Sunday morning. “She ate well and she’s as happy as can be,” Mora said.

 

The upset  ($14.40) win by the 3-year-old daughter of Afleet Alex was her first in a graded stakes. It was the first stakes victory at Del Mar for veteran jockey James Graham, who has ventured West after many Midwest-based years.

 

“My first stakes win at Del Mar and it’s a Grade I. I don’t do things by half measure, do I?” Graham said afterward.

 

It was the fourth stakes victory of the meeting for O’Neill, tops among trainers. O’Neill also leads the overall trainer standings with 13 victories, three more than Jerry Hollendorfer.

 

Team O’Neill will send out three representatives today and the last of them, Smoove It, could advance O’Neill’s totals in both the overall and stakes categories. The 4-year-old daughter of Square Eddie is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap, the ninth on a 10-race card.

 

Smoove It will face eight rivals. Majestic Heat, entered in both the Oaks and the Solana Beach, finished fifth in Saturday’s Oaks in what was her fourth start of the meeting.

 

Four-year-old fillies Sam’s Sister and Taris met last December 26, Opening Day of the Santa Anita Winter Meeting, and finished 1-2 respectively, a half-length apart, in the Grade I LaBrea Stakes.

 

Sam’s Sister, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, continued on to a 2015 campaign that opened with a victory in the Grade II Santa Monica Stakes in January and competitive efforts in stakes at Laurel Park, Keeneland and back to Santa Anita from February to June.

 

Taris, a $2.35 million purchase for Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier at auction last November, incurred an ankle injury that required surgery. The return to racing for the daughter of Flatter trained by Simon Callaghan is set for today in the Grade III $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap.

 

Taris, to be ridden by Gary Stevens, is the 2-1 favorite on oddsmaker Russ Hudak’s morning line. Sam’s Sister, with Rafael Bejarano in the irons, is the 5-2 second choice.

CLOSERS – DMTC Executive Vice President Tom Robbins announced that, as was the case Sunday, the track will be closed for training for all except Pacific Classic horses from 7:45 – 7:55 a.m. Monday and Tuesday … X-rays taken Saturday evening showed no serious injuries to jockey Corey Nakatani, according to his agent, Jim Pegram. Nakatani was spilled in the paddock by Run for Retts before Saturday’s seventh race, but got back aboard and rode the 27-1 shot to victory. Aftereffects of the spill caused Nakatani to take off his mount, Majestic Heat, in the next race, the Grade I Del Mar Oaks, and Sweet  Promises in the 10^th-race finale. Nakatani is reportedly “body sore” and has been excused from his scheduled mounts Sunday on Guns Loaded for Mike Puype in the third race and She’s Flush for Ed Moger, Jr. in the Solana Beach Handicap. Pegram said Nakatani will be fine and return to riding when racing resumes Wednesday … Selected workouts from 186 officially timed on dirt and 28 on turf Sunday morning: Dirt – Hard Aces (6f, 1:13.60), Big Cazanova (6f, 1:13.60), Wild Dude (5f, 1:01.20), Stellar Wind (5f, :59.80), Midnight Storm (5f, :58.40), Ralis (4f, :51.60), Mrazek (4f, :49.60), Gimme Da Lute (4f, :48.60), American Pharoah (4f, :47.60 breezing); Turf – Ganesh (1m 1:42.00), Soul Driver (6f, 1:14.40), Istanford (6f, 1:15.60), Obviously (5f, 1:01.40), Kulik Lodge (5f, 1:02.60), Big John B (5f, 1:02.60), Ashleyluvssugar (5f, 1:03.00), and Soi Phet (4f, :49.80)

 

 

 

Jockey Standings
(Current Through Saturday, August 15, 2015 Inclusive)
Jockey	Mts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	Money Won
Rafael Bejarano	123	24	22	18	20%	$1,409,052
Tyler Baze	133	19	21	20	14%	$1,163,154
Joseph Talamo	118	18	10	9	15%	$1,011,706
Flavien Prat	105	14	10	17	13%	$1,043,122
Mario Gutierrez	74	13	9	7	18%	$814,166
Santiago Gonzalez	99	12	10	9	12%	$725,116
Martin Garcia	82	10	8	11	12%	$710,730
Corey Nakatani	53	10	6	4	19%	$489,376
Kent Desormeaux	59	9	8	9	15%	$530,464
Martin Pedroza	86	9	6	9	10%	$389,798

 

Trainer Standings
(Current Through Saturday, August 15, 2015 Inclusive)
Trainer	Sts	1st	2nd	3rd	Win%	Money Won
Doug F. O'Neill	63	13	12	8	21%	$958,850
Jerry Hollendorfer	51	10	5	6	20%	$697,192
Peter Miller	76	9	11	11	12%	$656,506
Philip D'Amato	48	9	7	7	19%	$602,692
John W. Sadler	32	9	2	4	28%	$412,662
Richard Baltas	44	8	5	11	18%	$412,372
Mike Puype	47	7	3	7	15%	$393,140
Bob Baffert	33	7	3	6	21%	$541,190
Robert B. Hess, Jr.	33	6	0	6	18%	$178,570
Adam Kitchingman	17	5	5	1	29%	$131,890

 

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Saturday, August 15, 2015 Inclusive)
Winning favorites	57	202	28.22%
Winning favorites on dirt	42	139	30.22%
Winning favorites on turf	15	63	23.81%
Winning odds-on favorites	12	22	54.55%
In-the-Money favorites	116	202	57.43%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites	20	22	90.91%

 

 

Contact: Dan Smith 858-792-4226/Hank Wesch 858-755-1141 ext. 3793 

 

*A previous version of this story mistakenly said Hard Aces worked in company with Summer Bird