California Chrome jogs, scheduled to work Monday

DEL MAR, Calif. – California Chrome jogged at Los Alamitos on Wednesday, four days after a hard-fought win against Dortmund in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

Wednesday’s jog was the first day of exercise for California Chrome in the buildup to the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 20. The Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles is expected to include Dortmund, the millionaire Grade 1 winner who was beaten a half-length in the San Diego Handicap, and Beholder, the winner of the 2015 Pacific Classic who is scheduled to start in Saturday’s $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar.

Trainer Art Sherman said California Chrome recovered quickly after the San Diego, the 5-year-old’s first start since a win in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 26. California Chrome is tentatively scheduled to have a workout at Los Alamitos on Monday.

“We’ll go easy with him,” Sherman said. “We won’t press on him. We’ll just let him open up his lungs.”

Sherman has stables at Del Mar and Los Alamitos this summer and prefers to keep California Chrome at Los Alamitos. California Chrome has been based at Los Alamitos since early 2014, the year he was named Horse of the Year after winning races such as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

“He’s got his big stall there, and he relaxes so much more,” Sherman said.