American Pharoah – “I’m ready for my close-up!”

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah arrived at Del Mar in the wee hours of Tuesday morning but was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed during a meet-and-greet with the media later on.

According to the Del Mar pressbox, American Pharoah vanned from Santa Anita Park in the middle of the night with fellow Bob Baffert trainees to “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.”

The contingent arrived around 4 a.m. (PDT), but that didn’t stop American Pharoah from meeting with the media a few hours later.

The popular colt hammed it up for the cameras when assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes led him out for a one-mile jog around the new dirt surface around 7:30 a.m.

“He loves it down here,” Barnes stated.

The paparazzi were, of course, in attendance, and American Pharoah was more than happy to spend time showing off for the camera. In fact, the bay champion was reluctant to go back to the barn and the 10-minute press conference ran over.

“He loves selfies,” Barnes grinned.

American Pharoah will stay at Del Mar as he readies for the $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1) on August 2 at Monmouth Park. That nine-furlong contest will be the colt’s first race back since he ended the Triple Crown drought with a romping win in the June 6 Belmont S. (G1).

“You don’t get to meet a Triple Crown winner very often, so we’re delighted to have him here,” Del Mar’s President and CEO Joe Harper said.

Amercan Pharoah photo courtesy of Del Mar Twitter