Terranova barn at center of racing universe

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Several hours before Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s anticipated arrival at Saratoga Race Course, trainer John Terranova’s operation was bracing to be in the eye of the storm once again.

American Pharoah will spend the days leading up to the Travers Stakes in Terranova’s Barn 25 on the backstretch of the main track. Terranova and his wife, Tonja, have a long relationship with American Pharoah’s trainer, Bob Baffert, dating to when Tonja was a West Coast assistant for the Hall of Fame trainer. John Terranova hung his shingle out in New York in 1993, and the operation has regularly housed Baffert’s runners who ship in to run on the circuit, including American Pharoah in the days leading up to his historic Belmont Stakes victory. The Terranovas welcome another chance to get close to the champion.

“We’re ready,” John Terranova said. “We’re thrilled he’s coming. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and hopefully everything goes well, he ships in healthy and safe, and we get another chance at seeing the super horse around us.”

Following a cross-country trip that originated at Del Mar, American Pharoah was expected to land at Albany International Airport at about 2 p.m. Eastern. He was then to receive a police escort for the trip of a little less than an hour north to Saratoga Springs. There was evidence of the pending arrival on Wednesday morning, with metal barricades positioned on the road at each end of the Terranova stable to prevent people from walking into the corner of the barn or down the adjacent shed row for a peek. American Pharoah will be bedded down in stall 11, toward the middle of the shed row, for additional quiet.

Like all other Travers entrants, American Pharoah will be guarded continuously in the 72 hours leading up to the race, and any visitors to his stall will have to sign in, as per protocols instituted by the New York State Gaming Commission and New York Racing Association.

“They’re going to come in and fluff things up a bit and kind of secure different spots around the barn, just for everybody’s safety – horses and people,” Terranova said. “Hopefully, it’ll all go smooth. He’s a very intelligent horse; we’ve seen that already from him. It’ll be fun. It’s special for us just to be around a horse like that. We’ve seen a lot of good ones, and Bob’s had a lot of good ones that we’ve been real close to, but never got to see something like this.”

Just a stone’s throw away in Barn 23 is Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Jim Dandy Stakes winner Texas Red. Trainer Keith Desormeaux said he wasn’t concerned about being so close to the commotion surrounding American Pharoah, but he did plan to put up a rope and possibly shut Texas Red’s rear-facing window to provide the curious colt with some quiet.

“That window’s going to be closed,” Desormeaux said as Texas Red pressed his nose to the screen. “Look, he’s waiting for him now.”