California Chrome cruises in Los Alamitos drill

CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on Saturday morning at Los Alamitos, his penultimate work before heading to Churchill Downs for the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

California Chrome's position as the Kentucky Derby favorite has solidified over the past week with injuries to top contenders Constitution and Cairo Prince. He became the favorite off four straight wins, most recently the Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

Saturday’s work was the first for California Chrome since the Santa Anita Derby, and the first of two he will have before departing for Kentucky. As has been the custom at Los Alamitos in recent days, the track was reserved solely for California Chrome immediately following the mid-morning renovation break.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

With jockey Victor Espinoza aboard, California Chrome and a stable pony came on an otherwise-abandoned racetrack shortly before 8 a.m.

“He’s looking around. He’s wondering where all the other horses are,” said his trainer, Art Sherman, who watched the work from the grandstand.

California Chrome jogged with the pony to the backstretch, then cruised from the half-mile pole to the wire, with his ears forward, obviously eager and willing to do more.

“He does things so easily,” Espinoza said. “Going 47 is easy for him. It’s nothing. I just let him do his thing.”

Russell Hudak, the head clocker at Los Alamitos, had California Chrome going his final quarter-mile in 23.40 seconds.

Sherman had California Chrome going out five furlongs in 1:01.

“I just want to keep him as fresh as possible going into the Derby. He’s a happy horse,” said Sherman, who said California Chrome would have a similar half-mile work next Saturday.

California Chrome is scheduled to fly to Kentucky on April 28. It will be the first time California Chrome has ever been on a plane.

California Chrome wears blinkers in his races, but not in his workouts.

“He gets keyed up when you put blinkers on him," Sherman said. "He knows he’s going to race. In the morning, without blinkers, everything’s cool. He’s the perfect horse to train. He’s got no bad habits. He’ll stand in the chute here for 15 minutes, look at everybody, and never turn a hair.”