California Chrome works strong five furlongs for San Diego Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – In less than a minute at Del Mar on Saturday morning, California Chrome zoomed through a five-furlong workout and erased any concern about his condition in advance of the $200,000 San Diego Handicap next Saturday.

At times in recent weeks, California Chrome had satisfactory works at Los Alamitos but did not display as much speed or energy as trainer Art Sherman would have preferred. A change of scenery and another week of exercise put Sherman in a brighter mood after Saturday’s high-profile workout.

California Chrome breezed five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, the fastest of 77 recorded works at the distance.

“He was a lot better,” Sherman said. “Off this, he’ll be a hickory horse when he runs next week.”

The “breezing” designation is rare in California, where clockers typically rate horses as working “handily,” or more vigorously than breezing.

The Grade 2 San Diego Handicap will be California Chrome’s first start since a win in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 26. California Chrome resumed training in early May and has worked steadily each weekend since mid-May.

The San Diego Handicap is a prep for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 20.

California Chrome arrived here from Sherman’s base at Los Alamitos on Wednesday. For Saturday’s workout, California Chrome was watched by a large crowd for a 7:45 a.m. exercise. Accompanied by a pony, California Chrome galloped past the finish line and started the work at the five-furlong pole under exercise rider Dihigi Gladney.

Alan Sherman, assistant trainer to his father, timed California Chrome through the first furlong in 12 seconds, a quarter-mile in 23.60, and a half-mile in 46.60. Sherman timed California Chrome in 59.20 seconds. The 5-year-old horse galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.60, according to Sherman.

“He just does what you need to do,” Art Sherman said. “He’s push-button. He had a ton of horse when he came by me.”

Owned by Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm, California Chrome has won 12 of 21 starts and earned $12,532,650. He’s the richest North American-based horse in history. Martin and Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm attended Saturday’s workout.

An hour after the workout, California Chrome was munching on a hayrack in his stall. The work was not taxing, Alan Sherman said.

“He couldn’t blow out a match when he came back,” Alan Sherman said.

California Chrome will face a small field in the San Diego, which is run at 1 1/16 miles. The list of candidates includes Dortmund, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby in 2015, as well as the longshots Crittenden, Follow Me Crev, Win the Space, and possibly Hard Aces.

Win the Space and Hard Aces were second and third in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on June 25. Trainer John Sadler said Hard Aces is not a definite starter for the San Diego and could run in the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap at 1 1/2 miles on dirt June 24.

“We’ll wait and see what the fields are,” Sadler said.

Hard Aces worked six furlongs in 1:13.80 on Saturday, including a final quarter-mile in 23.60 seconds, according to Del Mar clockers. Win the Space worked six furlongs in 1:14.60.