California Chrome drills five furlongs for Los Alamitos Winter Challenge

CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 before dawn at Los Alamitos on Saturday, his last workout before his final career start in California in the Los Alamitos Winter Challenge on Dec. 17.

California Chrome worked alone under exercise rider Dihigi Gladney, who gave the 5-year-old a reminder in the final furlong with a backhanded tap with his whip.

“I wanted him to finish up,” Gladney said. “Sometimes he can ease up. He’ll cruise too much. I pay for it when I pop him. He’ll rebreak.”

California Chrome galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Trainer Art Sherman timed California Chrome in a slightly quicker 1:00 for the workout, with a three-furlong split time of 36.80 seconds. Sherman said he was not concerned that Gladney urged California Chrome in the final eighth.

“He got to looking around a bit down the lane,” Sherman said.

California Chrome was second to Arrogate in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5, the first loss of the year for California Chrome in his seventh start.

Arrogate and California Chrome are scheduled to meet in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. While Arrogate is not expected to start before the Pegasus World Cup, California Chrome will have a prep race in the Winter Challenge.

“I’m looking forward to that big race,” Sherman said of the Pegasus World Cup.

Sherman said the Winter Challenge provides California Chrome a chance to remain sharp.

“The timing is great,” he said. “I think he gets a little bored if he doesn’t run and keeps working and working. He’s get uninterested. This is a good chance to keep him tight and fit.”

As of Saturday, there were at least seven other horses under consideration for the newly created race at 1 1/16 miles – Air Pocket, Dream Team, Howdy, Mishegas, Papacoolpapacool, Ultimate Luck, and Uninvited. Trainer Vladimir Cerin said earlier in the week that Ain’t Misbehavin and Conquest Cobra are possible.

The $100,000-estimated Winter Challenge was developed in recent months by Los Alamitos officials as a way for California Chrome to start at the track’s two-week winter meeting. California Chrome has trained at Los Alamitos since early 2014 when he has been based in Southern California but has not raced here.

Officials devised a different purse structure to entice owners and trainers to run horses against California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year. The winner will receive $50,000, followed by $30,000 for second, $20,000 for third, and $15,000 for both fourth and fifth. Any other runners who complete the race will receive $10,000, which has led some trainers to suggest that they may give the race a try with horses who would typically run in allowance races. The race could be worth much more than $100,000.

California Chrome is the richest North American-based Thoroughbred in history with earnings of $14,452,650. Owned by Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farms, California Chrome has won 15 of 25 starts. He is scheduled to go to stud in Kentucky after the Pegasus World Cup.