by Steve Sherack
An absolutely packed parking lot filled with news trucks and a helicopter flying overhead on a Friday morning in early June? Yes, this is becoming a pretty familiar sight in Elmont, New York, on GI Belmont S. eve as American Pharoah(Pioneerof the Nile) tries to do what Big Brown, California Chrome, Smarty Jones, and so many others couldn't by becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since 1978.
On a cloudy morning with temperatures slightly milder in the mid-50s, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert walked the track by the clubhouse turn to get a feel for the surface during the renovation break. With Ahmed and Justin Zayat joining moments later, the trio watched by the mobbed gap as the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. hero was the first horse to enter the freshly manicured track at 8:45 a.m.
As trainer Barclay Tagg went by aboard a stable pony, it was hard not to think of the Empire-bred Funny Cide, who failed to complete the elusive sweep on a soggy day back in 2003. The winner that day, however, did go on to sire American Pharoah's sire, so there's that…
Back to the task at hand. It was just more of the same Friday morning with American Pharoah. The handsome bay continues to glide over the surface here since arriving in the Big Apple Tuesday afternoon, much to the delight of his connections. As the large contingent of media began the trek back to Barn 1, the smile on exercise rider Jorge Alvarez's said it all–American Pharoah couldn't be doing any better.
Just as he's done all week, Baffert opened the gate for the media to get up close and personal with American Pharoah during bath time. A bit earlier during some downtime, Baffert and the crew failed at an attempt to get Mr. Zayat aboard the popular stable pony Smokey. Baffert, never one to shy away from the spotlight, hopped aboard and put on a show for the adoring crowd, showing off some of Smokey's moves from his former reining days. “This is the only time I get to enjoy him!” Baffert enthused. If Baffert is stressed at all about how the champion 2-year-old is going to perform Saturday, he sure has a funny way of showing it.
Photographers continued to fire away from every angle as American Pharoah got cleaned up following his morning gallop. And a quick smooch on the nose for the big horse from Mr. Zayat provided a perfect photo-op as training hours began to wrap up…
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