Pharoah won't go in Pacific Classic

DEL MAR, Calif. – American Pharoah got back to his summer home here at Del Mar on Monday night, and on Tuesday morning, Del Mar officials had a lengthy discussion with trainer Bob Baffert regarding their signature race, the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 22, but American Pharoah will not race here this summer.

What could be next? Ahmed Zayat, the colt’s owner and breeder, has made known his desire to run in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29, and Baffert said on Sunday at Monmouth Park, following American Pharoah’s dominating win in the Haskell Invitational, that he would prefer to stay against 3-year-olds at this point.

But Baffert emphasized, as he has since the Triple Crown, that American Pharoah won’t run until and unless he’s ready for the kind of effort he turned in Sunday.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the legacy of the horse. For me, when I send him up, he’s going to be ready to do something like that,” Baffert said, referring to the Haskell. “I don’t want to let people down. It’s added pressure. I want the horse to show me he’s ready for that every time. There’s a lot of options out there, but he’s got to be thriving. My job is to keep him at that level. It’s hard to keep a horse at that level.”

American Pharoah usually walks for three days after a race before returning to the track to train. Baffert said he likely would walk American Pharoah for four days.

“He didn’t get back here until 7 last night,” Baffert said while watching workouts Tuesday. “You could tell he was wiped out. It was pretty hot and humid there.”

Joe Harper, the president and chief executive of Del Mar, and Tom Robbins, the track’s executive vice president for racing and industry relations, had a lengthy chat with Baffert on Tuesday during training hours as a courtesy regarding the Pacific Classic, but all were understanding that American Pharoah is not going to run 20 days after the Haskell, and against older horses for the first time at that.