American Pharoah Departs Churchill Downs
The 3-year-old homebred son of Pioneerof the Nile walked out of Barn 33, Stall 28 – his home for most of the last 67 days – just after 7:20 a.m. ET for a short Brook Ledge Horse Transportation van ride to Louisville International Airport to catch an H.E. “Tex” Sutton Forwarding Company charter flight back to his California base. The flight departed at 9:04 a.m. ET and was due to arrive at Ontario International Airport at 9:40 a.m. PT.
“My experience here was great,” said assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes, who oversaw American Pharoah’s stay in Kentucky. “It was easy – everything I thought it would be. I’m glad that we can come back this way. It’s just the way we like to do it. He looks very good, it’s just a matter of wrapping up here, packing up and getting back to California.”
Both Barnes and Alvarez reported that American Pharoah would likely resume training on Friday morning at Santa Anita.
Travelling alongside the Triple Crown winner for Thursday’s flight were stablemates Cat Burglar, Fame and Power and Hoppertunity, all of which ran last Saturday night as a part of Churchill Downs’ 11-race Downs After Dark program.
Source: Churchill Downs