American Pharoah preps for parade

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Triple Crown winner American Pharoah probably will return to light training Friday at Churchill Downs as his connections prepare to have him paraded in front of what surely will be a large and jubilant crowd Saturday night during the Stephen Foster Handicap program.

Since arriving here Sunday following his rousing triumph in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, American Pharoah has been hand-walked on the Barn 33 shed row at Churchill. Since Monday, and most likely through Thursday, the mundane routine will consist of twice-a-day (morning and afternoon) walks around the barn, according to assistant trainer Jim Barnes.

“We will probably need to take a little edge off before the parade,” said exercise rider Jorge Alvarez. “I will probably jog him Friday – at least that’s what I’m being told.”

It has not been announced when American Pharoah will return to trainer Bob Baffert’s main base at Santa Anita in Southern California, although it is expected to happen not long after the Foster, in which Baffert will run Cat Burglar and possibly Hoppertunity. Owner Ahmed Zayat has said American Pharoah will continue to race through the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Classic, assuming the colt remains healthy.

The details on how and what time the parade will take place Saturday – and which of the colt’s connections will be in attendance – were still in the works Tuesday, according to Churchill spokesman John Asher. The presentation of engraved winner’s trophies to all of the Derby-winning connections has been part of the Foster program for years now. But with the presence of the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, and with NBCSN planning to extend its coverage of the card, the ceremony figures to be different this year.

NBCSN already had planned to be here as part of its Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series telecasts, but the network announced Monday it was stretching coverage from 90 minutes to two hours, from 8-10 p.m. Eastern. The broadcast originally was supposed to include only the two main features, the Grade 1 Foster and Grade 2 Fleur de Lis, but it has been expanded so that the parade and ceremonies and one more graded race – either the Grade 3 Matt Winn or Grade 3 Regret – also will be shown.

The tentative schedule calls for the Fleur de Lis to be run at 9:06 and the Foster at 9:39, although that was subject to change until after entries were to be set Wednesday. Both races are Win and You’re In events toward the Breeders’ Cup. First post for the 11-race card is 6 p.m.

Churchill has hosted a handful of parade ceremonies in the last 20 years, including those honoring Cigar, Curlin, and Wise Dan, although none were orchestrated within the confines of live television coverage.

The Foster was first run at night in 2012, and attendance has averaged 23,532 for the last three runnings. A crowd of more than 30,000 appears likely for Saturday. The record crowd for a Churchill Downs evening card is 38,142, set on opening night of the 2011 spring meet.