American Pharoah breezes five furlongs at Churchill

American Pharoah will attempt to become Thoroughbred

racing's 12th Triple Crown winner -- and first since Affirmed in 1978 -- in

Saturday's 1 1/2-mile Belmont.

"Everything went really well today," Baffert said outside Barn 33. "I was

worried about the rain a little bit but the track was in perfect shape. He went

around there really nice and it sort of let up a little bit when he worked so it

went just as we thought. He just kept on clicking right along and so now we just

play the waiting game. We'll ship out tomorrow morning and hope everything goes

well when we go to the Big Apple."

On Sunday, Baffert said that he is usually nervous going into a breeze and

this morning was no exception.

"(I was) very nervous," the Hall of Fame trainer said. "This morning I saw

the rain and the track was really dry this morning, so I think the rain (put)

just enough moisture in it to make it have some bounce to it. But the track was

in excellent condition. I slept pretty well last night. I didn't think it was

going to rain today and then I woke up went 'Whoa, where did that come from?'

But had I known it was storming that night I probably would have had a hard

time. I didn't want to work on a sealed track."

As opposed to going into the workout,

Baffert isn't quite as nervous as far as the race is concerned.

"We're sort of used to running in

these big races, so it's not like it's the first time for us," Baffert said. "We

know that as long as we're prepared and we know what we need to do -- that's the

whole thing. The only thing that I would get nervous about would be if things

aren't going well, but so far everything has been right on schedule. There

haven't been any setbacks -- no hiccups -- so that's the main thing."

"If you can't own a baseball team, football team or

basketball team, you own a horse. It's the same enjoyment."

American Pharoah will walk the shedrow of Barn 33 Tuesday morning before

departing on a van ride to Louisville International Airport at approximately 10

a.m. The H.E.

"Tex" Sutton Forwarding Co. charter flight to Long Island MacArthur Airport, which

also will include Belmont S. rival Keen Ice (Curlin) and other horses for stakes

races at Belmont Park, is scheduled to depart at approximately 11:15 a.m. with a 12:45 p.m. arrival

time.

Donegal

Racing's Keen Ice (Curlin) galloped two miles over the main track under exercise

rider Faustino Aguilar Monday. The Dale Romans pupil is scheduled to breeze

Tuesday morning before shipping out.

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