No decision if American Pharoah will race again

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The morning after a startling upset at the Travers Stakes, a small gathering of fans visited racing’s biggest celebrity, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

This group on Sunday morning was considerably smaller than the throng of 15,000 that watched American Pharoah take a routine gallop two days earlier.

Still, American Pharoah’s defeat at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday didn’t diminish his legacy or appeal – not in the eyes of the fans and or trainer Bob Baffert, who led his colt out to be petted and fed carrots before he was sent back to his stall.

“I’m happy with the way he looked today. I could tell he’s not upset,” Baffert said. “You could see when he was out here, he was himself. He was his sweet self.”

American Pharoah had not lost since his career debut last August at Del Mar. Since then, he had reeled off eight straight wins, seven of them in Grade 1 races, including his historic Triple Crown sweep this spring.

“If I had to do it again, I would have brought him here. I’m glad I brought him. I think racing needed something like this,” Baffert said.

In the Travers, his first try at 1 1/4 miles since the Derby, the colt was pressed from the gate to the top of the stretch by Frosted before getting clear. But he but didn’t have enough left to hold off late-running Keen Ice.

The question now is when, or if, American Pharoah will run again. Zayat said right after the Travers the horse would be retired at the first hint of regression. Baffert said he had not seen any sign of that and would prefer to train up to the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Classic on at Keeneland, the colt’s last scheduled start before going to stud.