California Chrome breezes easy three furlongs

California Chrome recorded his first published work, but his second work since going back into training, with an easy three furlongs in 39.60 seconds early Saturday morning at Los Alamitos.

California Chrome worked two furlongs the previous Saturday, but that is a distance too short to make the official work tab. This work did make the tab, according to Russell Hudak, the head clocker at Los Alamitos, who timed California Chrome beginning at the quarter pole.

Art Sherman, who trains California Chrome, said he expects California Chrome to get fit in a hurry, and that the Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 9 is definitely in play as the likely comeback race for California Chrome.

California Chrome has not started since March 28, when he finished second in the Dubai World Cup. After that, Perry Martin, his co-breeder and majority owner, had California Chrome sent to England for an intended start in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. But a foot bruise discovered two days before the race necessitated California Chrome being withdrawn.

From there, California Chrome went to Arlington Park, where Martin wanted to run him in the Arlington Million in August. But California Chrome was taken out of training with bone bruising, then sent to Kentucky to Taylor Made Farm, which bought out minority owner and co-breeder Steve Coburn.

After recuperating at Taylor Made, California Chrome returned to Sherman’s barn at Los Alamitos.

California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2014, then later that year secured titles as Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male with a victory in the Hollywood Derby on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 29.

He has had just two starts since then. Prior to going to Dubai, he was second to Shared Belief in the San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7.