American Pharoah works toward comeback

ARCADIA, Calif. – American Pharoah, the champion 2-year-old male of 2014, worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 Sunday at Santa Anita, moving closer to an expected comeback in Arkansas next month.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Zayat Stables, American Pharoah had his longest work of the year Sunday. He had two three-furlong workouts earlier this month. American Pharoah won two Grade 1 races last September – the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs and the FrontRunner Stakes here at 1 1/16 miles that clinched the title. He missed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile here Nov. 1 because of injury.

Baffert has mentioned the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 14 as a possible launching race for American Pharoah’s 2015 campaign.

“I’ll run him when he’s ready,” Baffert said. “I put a good foundation into him. It was a minor injury.”

On Saturday, the Baffert-trained Power Jam won his debut with little effort by 4 1/4 lengths, running six furlongs in a quick 1:08.68. Power Jam, a colt by Concord Point who is owned and bred by Kaleem Shah, earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92.

Power Jam ($2.80) was ridden by Martin Garcia, who kept the colt near the front before taking the lead on the turn. Power Jam was not urged through the stretch.

The victory was expected, Baffert said.

“He’d been working insane,” Baffert said.