American Pharoah to parade for the public on Saturday night

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has said he wants to share American Pharoah with “the people,” and he’ll be doing just that with 30,000-plus of his closest friends Saturday night at Churchill Downs.

In his first appearance since he became the first horse in 37 years to sweep the Triple Crown, American Pharoah will spend about 45 minutes in front of his adoring public when on parade between races during the Downs After Dark program at Churchill.

American Pharoah will be walked over from Barn 33 following the fifth of 11 races, which is set for 7:54 p.m. Eastern, along with the runners in the sixth race, the Grade 3 Regret Stakes. He will remain walking around the paddock during the Regret, which is set for 8:32, before being led into the winner’s enclosure for an elaborate ceremony that will include presentations of the engraved Kentucky Derby trophies to his connections – Baffert, owner-breeder Ahmed Zayat, and jockey Victor Espinoza – all of whom will be on hand for what surely will be a joyous celebration.

Upon completion, American Pharoah will be walked back to the barn, and the racing program will resume with the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis as race 7 (9:08).

Much of the parade and tributes will be shown on the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series broadcast on NBCSN from 8-10 and on racing networks TVG and HRTV, which will provide extensive coverage throughout an 11-race card that starts at 6.

With all the attendant publicity for a long-overdue Triple Crown winner, Churchill officials say they are braced for a huge crowd, one that possibly could be the largest since Churchill first began running night cards in 2009. The record for a Downs After Dark crowd is 38,142.

Meanwhile, Baffert was scheduled to arrive Thursday night in Louisville and be on hand Friday morning when American Pharoah returned to the track for a light jog. The colt was hand-walked around the barn again Thursday, marking the fourth straight day for such light activity. His days since returning here Sunday have been marked by frequent visits from fans, many of whom have been allowed to pet the famously kind colt and to take photos aside him outside of his stall.

“We’ve done a whole lot of these,” assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said late Wednesday morning after a group of Coolmore associates and their friends had left the shed row following a lengthy meet-and-greet with the star horse. “You don’t like to turn too many people down. They just love him.”

Following his arrival, Baffert was expected to decide on a daily training regimen for American Pharoah until the colt and his stablemates leave for California next Thursday, June 18, via equine charter.