American Pharoah confirmed for Travers after seven-furlong drill

American Pharoah will try to emulate Whirlaway as the only other Triple Crown winner to land the Travers (Benoit Photo)

Owner/breeder Ahmed Zayat announced that

Triple Crown champion American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) is headed for
Saturday’s Travers (G1) at Saratoga.

The news came following the sophomore’s Sunday work at Del Mar, where he
zipped seven furlongs in 1:23.20. For more, follow the TwinSpires link.

In
other Travers news on the blog:

Smart Transition (Smart Strike) blitzed a bullet five-eighths at the Spa,
while Japan (Medaglia d’Oro) has suffered a probably career-ending sesamoid
injury.

The fields are coming into focus for the

six stakes on the Travers undercard, including four Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re
In” events.