Longines Test S.

Owner Kaleem Shah made an agonizing decision when he removed American Gal and other horses from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and assigned them elsewhere.

In the case of American Gal, she came under the care of Simon Callaghan, a young West Coast trainer looking to establish himself nationally. That appears to be a solid call.

The daughter of Concord Point was extremely impressive in dominating the Test by four lengths and turning back runner-up Faypien, a Baffert trainee. She cruised through seven furlongs in 1:22.76.

American Gal shipped east for the second time in as many races this season and made the trek worthwhile on both occasions. She previously rolled by 4 ¾ lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong Victory Ride, a Grade 3 contest, on July 9 at Belmont Park.

Callaghan viewed that as a race to build on, and he was right.

“I’ve seen some great things in the morning and I think cutting her back to seven-eighths is going to be her optimum distance,” he said of the Test. “We were hoping for it, but it was nice to see.”

Callaghan said American Gal will return to the West Coast. He is not sure what might be next on the road to the Breeders’ Cup.

“We’ll think about the Breeders’ Cup and the best way to go about it. But we’ll just enjoy today,” he said.

Shah praised the work of Callaghan and his staff. “Simon is a very talented young man and he’s done a wonderful job,” he said.

According to Shah, his parting from Baffert was amicable. “I’ll always be a Bob fan,” he said.