Pharoah seeks Breeders Cup Classic victory

Triple Crown champion American Pharoah will try to close out his career in style by winning the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic next week against a loaded field that includes twotime Breeders’ Cup-winning mare Beholder and Keen Ice, who handed him his only loss this year in the Travers.

Tonalist, the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner, and Frosted, who pressed American Pharoah much of the way in the Travers before finishing third, are also among the 10 horses expected to run in the 1 ¼-mile Classic, which will be shown live on NBC.

“It’s some good horses in there,” said Bob Baffert, who trains American Pharoah, “but that’s what the Breeders’ Cup is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be tough.”

The Classic field is among a total of 200 horses — one less than last year’s record — which were pre-entered Wednesday for the $26 million, 13-race Breeders’ Cup world championships being held for the first time at Keeneland on Oct. 30 and 31.

New York-based trainer Chad Brown pre-entered a leading 14 horses in the two-day event. Coolmore had 10 horses pre-entered, tops among owners.

Final entries and the post-position draw will be Monday at Keeneland. Thirty-two foreign horses were pre-entered.

American Pharoah will attempt to become the first horse to sweep the Triple Crown and the Classic in the same year. The 3-year-old colt is expected to make his final start at the Lexington, Ky., track before being retired to stud.

American Pharoah will tackle older horses for the first time in his career, with 5-year-old mare Beholder looming as the toughest challenger. She’s won all five of her starts this year, including a dominating victory in the $1 million Pacific Classic over male horses at Del Mar.

“I feel confident I have him at that level that he’s going to run a big race,” Baffert said.

American Pharoah is set to work once more at his home base of Santa Anita on Monday before traveling to Kentucky the next day.

Beholder could become the first horse to win three different BC races and the first female to win the Classic since Zenyatta in 2009. She won the 2012 Juvenile Fillies and the 2013 Distaff.

Beholder was also entered in this year’s Distaff, but trainer Richard Mandella said he intends to run her against the boys in the Classic.