American Pharoah has final Belmont Stakes workout

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Kentucky Derby and Preakness champ American Pharoah had his final workout Monday morning at Churchill Downs for Saturday's 147th Belmont Stakes.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Zayat Stables, American Pharoah covered five furlongs, with Martin Garcia in the saddle, over a fast main track in 1:00.20. With Baffert in attendance, the colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:13, seven furlongs in 1:26 and a mile in 1:39.60.

"Everything went really well today," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "I was worried about the rain a little bit but the track was in perfect shape. He went around there really nice and it sort of let up a little bit when he worked so it went just as we thought. He just kept on clicking right along and so now we just play the waiting game. We'll ship out tomorrow morning and hope everything goes well when we go to the Big Apple."

It was announced Monday that Blue Grass Stakes winner Carpe Diem, 10th in the Kentucky Derby, and The Truth Or Else have both been withdrawn from racing in the 1 1/2-mile "Test of the Champion."

The Belmont Stakes now has a probable field of eight 3-year-olds: American Pharoah (jockey Victor Espinoza, trainer Bob Baffert); Frammento (Mike Smith, Nick Zito); Frosted (Joel Rosario, Kiaran McLaughlin); Keen Ice (Kent Desormeaux, Dale Romans); Madefromlucky (Javier Castellano, Todd Pletcher); Materiality (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher); Mubtaahij (Irad Ortiz Jr., Mike de Kock) and Tale of Verve (Gary Stevens, Dallas Stewart).