California Chrome gets in first Florida gallop for Pegasus World Cup

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – So far, so good as far as California Chrome’s connections are concerned in his quest to end his career on a winning note in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 28.

California Chrome arrived locally following an uneventful flight from the West Coast on Friday, visited the track for the first time to jog on Sunday, and turned in a routine gallop well before sunrise Monday, going 1 3/4 miles under his regular exercise rider, Dihigi Gladney. Temperatures hovered around 50 degrees the last two mornings, with the wind chill in the high 30s.

“He galloped great this morning,” Alan Sherman, son of and assistant to trainer Art Sherman, said on Monday. Alan Sherman accompanied California Chrome to Gulfstream in advance of his father, who will arrive here Saturday night, Jan. 21, just prior to the Eclipse Awards presentation. “He was really strong, full of energy.”

California Chrome was noticeably warm as he jogged back to the barn after completing his gallop on Monday, but Sherman said he was not concerned.

“He was just a little keyed up, that’s all,” said Sherman. “He usually gets a little warm when he trains.”

California Chrome is scheduled to have the first of his two local works prior to the Pegasus on Saturday.

“I’d rather not work with a bunch of other horses on the track, so I might talk to management about arranging a time he can go out by himself, although I haven’t gotten to that point yet,” said Sherman.

One of the 11 horses expected to challenge California Chrome in the Pegasus World Cup, War Story, breezed Monday at Gulfstream Park West, going a half-mile in 47.40 seconds before galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.60. It was his first breeze since joining trainer Jorge Navarro’s stable last week. War Story won the Queens County at Aqueduct in his 2016 finale.