American Pharoah records first work since Travers

Monday morning at Santa Anita, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah recorded his first workout since losing his first race of the season in last month's Travers (G1).

Under Martin Garcia, American Pharoah worked four furlongs in :49.80, 58th fastest of 68 works at the distance.

Owner Ahmed Zayat announced via Twitter that the colt went out early "trying to beat the weather," referring to the extremely warm temperatures that have hit Southern California in recent days.

Daytime highs are forecast to be in the low-to-mid 90s the rest of the week and into Saturday, opening day of Santa Anita's fall meet.

Zayat later tweeted that American Pharoah "breezed very easy, relaxed, looked awesome according to [trainer] Bob [Baffert]. Ears perked, exactly what we wanted."

American Pharoah is scheduled to make his final career start on October 31 in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland. Given the extended break from training the colt received following the Travers, it is all but certain he will not have another race beforehand.

The final round of Breeders' Cup Classic preps will occur over the next two weekends. Among these are the $300,000 Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita and the $175,000 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs on Saturday, and the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park on October 3.

Classic contenders Beholder and Honor Code will be prepping elsewhere, though. Dual champion Beholder, last-out winner over males in the Pacific Classic (G1), will have her final prep in the $300,000 Zenyatta (G1) at Santa Anita on Saturday. Honor Code, the Whitney (G1) and Metropolitan H. (G1) winner, is expected to start in the $400,000 Kelso H. (G2) over a mile at Belmont on October 3.

(American Pharoah photo: Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)