American Pharoah has final Haskell tuneup

By MIKE FARRELL, Associated Press

Aug 1, 2015 10:27 AM CDT

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In front of a large crowd of fans, Top Clearance, left, with Calamity Compton up leads Triple Crown winner American Pharoah with Jorge Alvarez up through at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, a turn as they train for Sunday's running of the Haskell Invitational horse race. (AP... (Associated Press)

OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) — Triple Crown winner American Pharoah had another easy gallop Saturday morning at Monmouth Park, his final serious exercise before the $1.75 million Haskell Invitational.

The overwhelming 1-5 favorite for the race on Sunday was on the track shortly after 7:30 a.m. He slowly jogged from the barn area to the finish line, giving fans who lined the rail a good look at the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.

He then turned toward the inside fence for a one-mile gallop under clear skies and a cooling breeze rippling off the nearby ocean

Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said "the track was good, the weather was good," and a lot of fans came out to see him. He said the horse "looked awesome out on the track. We couldn't be happier."

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