People watching American Pharoah take his exercise at Belmont Park on Thursday morning could not help noticing that he had a friend with him. It happened to be a 6-year-old gelding named Smokey, who has been serving as general companion and calmer-of-nerves for American Pharoah during the horse’s potentially stress-filled attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
“He’s a sweetheart,” said Bob Baffert, American Pharoah’s trainer, who took time out from a pre-race news conference Thursday to field some Smokey-related questions. “We call him bombproof.”
Smokey first caught Baffert’s eye in a horse catalog as Baffert searched for a laid-back, friendly horse to soothe the possible jitters not just of American Pharoah, but also of the other horses he trains.