TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPION AMERICAN PHAROAH TO WORK ‘SATURDAY OR SUNDAY’ AT SANTA ANITA ACCORDING TO BAFFERT; DRILL COULD BE CHAMP’S FINAL LOCAL BREEZE PRIOR TO SHIPPING TO KENTUCKY IN ADVANCE OF $5 MILLION BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC OCT. 31

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 2, 2015)—American Pharoah, the nation’s first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, could have his final Southern California workout “Saturday or Sunday,” according to his conditioner, Bob Baffert. A gallant second in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 29, Santa Anita-based American Pharoah is preparing for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland Oct. 31. Plans are to ship the son of Pioneerof the Nile to Churchill Downs in advance of the Classic.

“I have a plan, but we’ll probably know more tomorrow,” Baffert said Friday morning in response to questions about “Pharoah’s” date of departure.

With a 60 percent chance of thunderstorm activity in the Arcadia area on Sunday, Baffert may indeed opt to work his champion on Saturday. Whichever day is decided upon, American Pharoah is scheduled to breeze over Santa Anita’s main track at 6:30 a.m.

Although Baffert has not said how far American Pharoah will work, he did breeze a solid five furlongs last Sunday at Santa Anita in one minute flat.