American Pharoah gallops following Saturday work

DEL MAR, Calif. – After staying off the track for an extra day to let the track dry out, American Pharoah had a strong gallop Tuesday with exercise rider Jorge Alvarez, his first time on the track since a workout Saturday.

American Pharoah walked – per usual the day after a work – on Sunday, and he did the same Monday because the main track was still drying out from weekend rain. But the track was in much better shape Tuesday; it had improved so much that clockers rated it fast.

American Pharoah is scheduled to make his first start since the Belmont Stakes in the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park. He’ll have at least one more work at Del Mar prior to that race.

• Win some, lose some: Jockey Flavien Prat won the Osunitas Stakes on Saturday on Gas Total in a close finish, then was docked $200 by the stewards for misuse of the whip under a new rule that penalizes jockeys who hit a horse “more than three times in succession without giving the horse a chance to respond.”

• The 3-year-olds Dortmund (three furlongs, 36.20 seconds) and Prospect Park (half-mile, 50 seconds) both worked Tuesday.