Trainer Bob Baffert wants to share American Pharoah with fans

Bob Baffert, the trainer of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, said Wednesday during a media gathering at Santa Anita Park that the 3-year-old would run again this year, but no decision has been made about when or where his next race will be.

“Our goal is to get to the Breeders’ Cup,” he said. “All kinds of tracks are calling, ‘Please, could you think of bringing him here?’”

American Pharoah’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, told MSNBC that the Aug. 2 Haskell Invitational could be the next race.

American Pharoah will be paraded on the track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday night as part of a racing card that features the Stephen Foster Handicap. Baffert said American Pharoah was scheduled to return to Santa Anita on June 18 and would also train later this year at Del Mar in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

“Winning a Triple Crown is bringing so much enjoyment to the sport of racing,” Baffert said. “We’re going to share him.”

Baffert said he was still coming to terms with the impact of American Pharoah becoming the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown.

“I wasn’t mentally ready for it,” he said. “I’m hearing from everybody I ever grew up with. This horse really brought everybody’s attention to horse racing and they can’t get enough of American Pharoah. It still hasn’t sunk in completely we actually did it. I feel I’m on a big wave and the wave seems like it’s getting bigger. This ride has been incredible.”

Baffert threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday before the Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“The catcher said, ‘Just throw high,’ so I threw it up there,” he said. “I asked my wife Jill, ‘What did you think?’ She said, ‘You throw really well for a girl.’”

Baffert said the whole experience of winning the Triple Crown has been “spiritual and emotional.”

“It was such a magical moment,” he said.

Twitter: @LATSondheimer