In Tuesday's national teleconference, trainer Bob Baffert seemed confident in how Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) looks coming into Saturdays' GI Travers S., but acknowledged that the win won't be easy.
“The horse is really doing well,” Baffert said. “It's not going to be an easy race. There's always young shooters coming up and we're prepared for a tough race. The Travers is not going to be easy, it's going to be an exciting race.”
Although the constant shipping across country would usually take a lot out of a horse, Baffert noted that American Pharoah is exceptional in that he ships well and isn't too taxed by his frequent travels.
“What makes this horse so different is he's the only horse that I've ever had that's given me six great performances right in a row and he's shipping back and forth,” he explained. “It's unheard of with a racehorse. This horse is really tough and he can handle it.”
Baffert, who trained Point Given to wins in the Haskell and Travers in 2001, said that the GII Jim Dandy would have been a preferable prep for most horses, but in American Pharaoh's case, it shouldn't be an issue.
“I really think you're better off running in the Jim Dandy and coming back [in the Travers],” Baffert said. “If he was just a different kind of horse, I would do that. But with a horse like Pharaoh, I think you can get away with it. With a horse like Pharaoh or Point Given, they're extremely talented you can get away with it.”
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