TRIPLE CROWN CHAMP AMERICAN PHAROAH FEELING GOOD AS HE JOGS, GALLOPS ON SANTA ANITA MAIN TRACK; SUPERSTAR MARE BEHOLDER IS ‘PONIED’ ON INNER TRAINING TRACK

BAFFERT HAS ‘PHAROAH’ TICKETED FOR FIVE FURLONG BREEZE SUNDAY MORNING

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2015)—Triple Crown Champion American Pharoah came on Santa Anita’s main track Thursday at 6:30 a.m. and jogged the wrong way three quarters of mile before turning and settling into a mile and a quarter gallop under exercise rider Manny Avila.

With Bob Baffert looking on, the bay colt by Pioneerof the Nile then walked up the Santa Anita stretch en route to Baffert’s Barn 5. Owned and bred by Ahmed Zayat, “Pharoah” is scheduled to breeze five furlongs Sunday morning with jockey Martin Garcia.

An easy winner of her third consecutive Grade I Zenyatta Stakes this past Saturday, two-time Eclipse Champion mare Beholder, who walked Richard Mandella’s shedrow for four consecutive days following the race, went to the inner training track at 5:45 a.m. Riderless and accompanied by a stable pony, the 5-year-old mare by Henny Hughes, who was sporting four polo bandages, “jogged straight off” according to Santa Anita Simulcast Host Millie Ball, who also noted she was full of energy coming off the track and heading back to the stable area.

Owned by B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm, Beholder is being readied for what shapes up as an epic confrontation with American Pharoah and others in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Oct. 31 at Keeneland.