LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, June 11, 2015) – Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has been walking the shed row of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s Barn 33 daily since returning to Churchill Downs on Sunday, but he’s scheduled to return to the track Friday around 6:45 a.m. for a clockwise job around the one-mile oval.
“He’s absolutely fine – solid,” assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said of American Pharoah. “He’s the same as he’s always been.”
American Pharoah has been greeted by numerous horsemen and barn area guests daily looking for a picture and a chance to visit with horseracing’s 12thTriple Crown winner and first since 1978.
“The people love him,” Barnes said. “They’ve been coming by and we’ve been friendly to everyone who’s wanted to visit him. This goes right to the top of all of our achievements and accomplishments and we’re just glad that we finally got it done.”
While the barn area remains secured and closed to the public, fans will be able to salute horse racing’s newest rock star Saturday night when American Pharoah will be paraded on the main track after the fifth race around 8 p.m. (all times Eastern) during Churchill Downs’ 11-race “Downs After Dark” presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka. Owner/breeder Ahmed Zayat and his family, Baffert and his family and jockey Victor Espinoza will be on hand to accept their engraved Kentucky Derby 141 trophies in a G.H. MUMM Winner’s Circle ceremony scheduled immediately after Race 6 at 8:32 p.m.
Admission gates open Saturday at 5 p.m. and the first race is 6 p.m. The evening’s theme is “White Party,” so guests are encouraged to wear their best summer whites.
Baffert is scheduled to return to Louisville on Thursday night and will be at the barn Friday morning. American Pharoah is scheduled to return to his Southern California base on Thursday, June 18.