American Pharoah jogs; Conquest Curlinate withdrawn from Belmont consideration

Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness

S. (G1) winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) returned to the Churchill Downs track

Thursday morning for a once-around clockwise jog on the one-mile oval. The

three-year-old, preparing for a sweep of the Triple Crown in the 147th running of

the $1.5 million Belmont S. (G1) on June 6, walked around Barn 33 on

Wednesday after breezing a half-mile in :48 the day before.

"He felt great, no different," exercise rider Jorge Alvarez said. "He's a

running machine; all he wants to do is run. When we go to a different track,

nothing changes. He doesn't have to take his racetrack with him. He'll run on

anything."

Jimmy Barnes, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, was

also pleased with how Zayat Stables' homebred three-year-old jogged during Churchill

Downs' special 8:30-8:45 a.m. (EDT) training session exclusive to

Belmont Stakes contenders.

"From what we saw I thought he looked very good," said Barnes, who rode

Baffert's pony Smokey alongside American Pharoah during the exercise. "He jogged

almost every step of the way and felt strong. He looked super good. I've been

asked just about every question so far except for the big one: 'Can he do it?'

and I think that he can."

Keen Ice (Curlin), who breezed six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 on

Wednesday, walked around the shed row of trainer Dale Romans' barn on Thursday.

The possible 10-horse Belmont Stakes lineup (with jockey and trainer)

currently stands at American Pharoah (Victor Espinoza, Baffert); Carpe Diem

(Giant's Causeway) (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Frammento (Midshipman) (Mike Smith,

Nick Zito); Frosted (Tapit) (Joel Rosario, Kiaran McLaughlin); Keen Ice (Kent

Desormeaux, Romans); Madefromlucky (Lookin at Lucky) (TBA, Pletcher);

Materiality (Afleet Alex) (TBA, Pletcher); Mubtaahij (Dubawi) (Irad Ortiz Jr.,

Mike de Kock); Tale of Verve (Tale of Ekati) (Gary Stevens, Dallas Stewart); and

The Truth or Else (Yes It's True) (Edgar Prado, Kenny McPeek).

In other Belmont Stakes news:

With Triple Crown hopeful American Pharoah and three other Belmont Stakes

contenders stabled on the grounds, Churchill is offering a

special 8:30-8:45 a.m. training period for those horses through Tuesday.

Additionally, area horse racing fans are invited to watch those colts train from

the first floor of the facility, including the new Courtyard area, free of

charge.