American Pharoah receives visit from Los Angeles Angels

ARCADIA, Calif. – American Pharoah was as much of an ambassador for racing as an athlete on Friday morning at Santa Anita.

Hours after he went through a routine gallop, the 2015 Triple Crown was the subject of an hour of devoted attention from two players and a group of coaches and front office employees from the Los Angeles Angels. The colt handled the publicity event like a veteran, standing quietly as the subject of countless photos and plenty of carrots.

Pitcher Cam Bedrosian and third baseman Kyle Kubitza snapped photos and posed for pictures next to American Pharoah while trainer Bob Baffert and his assistant, Jimmy Barnes, stood alongside the colt.

“Do you guys get carrots when you pitch?” Baffert asked Bedrosian.

“No, Copenhagen,” came the reply.

.#AmericanPharoah got a visit from @Cam_Bedrock, @Kubbyk3009 and @Alex_Curry from the @Angels organization this AM! pic.twitter.com/3e0NQ7PBIA

— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) June 26, 2015

Baffert told the assembled guests that American Pharoah will “hopefully run in the first week of August.” Two opportunities are races previously discussed as potential starts – the $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 1, or the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 2.

American Pharoah has been galloping on a daily basis at Santa Anita for much of the last week. Baffert said on Friday that he has not chosen a day for American Pharoah’s next workout.

Baffert was presented with an Angels jersey with Pharoah and the No. 3 on the back. The jersey was big enough that Baffert buttoned it around American Pharoah’s neck for a few moments. The colt never flinched.

Angels bullpen coach Steve Soliz is well versed in American Pharoah’s accomplishments. Soliz is a frequent visitor to Santa Anita during the winter, and traveled to Kentucky to visit Lane’s End last winter.

“I got to see the stallions and Zenyatta from a distance,” he said. “Now, I’ve seen a Triple Crown winner. This has been a lot of fun in the last six months.”