California Chrome may face six in Winter Challenge

CYPRESS, Calif. – California Chrome may have a half-dozen rivals when he makes his final start in California in the $100,000-estimated Winter Challenge on Dec. 17 at Los Alamitos.

As of Friday, six horses were under consideration for the newly created race at 1 1/16 miles – Air Pocket, Dream Team, Howdy, Mishegas, Papacoolpapacool and Ultimate Luck. Trainer Vladimir Cerin said Thursday that Ain’t Misbehavin and Conquest Cobra are possible.

Ultimate Luck starts in an optional claimer for California-breds on Sunday at Los Alamitos, but could make a quick turnaround, trainer Melissa Saldana said.

The 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 he 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 that complete the race will receive $10,000, which has led some trainers to suggest they may give the race a try with horses that 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. California Chrome has won 15 of 25 starts and was second to Arrogate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

Trained by Art Sherman for Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm, California Chrome is scheduled to go to stud in Kentucky in 2017 after his final scheduled start in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.