California Chrome’s scheduled start in Wednesday’s Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in England was considered doubtful on Monday after trainer Art Sherman said an abscess was detected in the colt’s right front foot.

A dejected Sherman said in a telephone interview that California Chrome did not train on Monday and that subsequent tests revealed the developing abscess. Sherman said he believes that California Chrome bruised a foot while training at Newmarket, England, in recent days.

A fascinating and most unusual showdown launches the five-day Royal Ascot meeting Tuesday.

A year ago, Able Friend had just run in his first group stakes, with the horse virtually unknown outside Hong Kong. Solow, in France, also stepped into group stakes competition for the first time, thudding home sixth in a race just shy of two miles.

So much has changed since then. Able Friend lost his first start of the Hong Kong season last October, but has since reeled off six straight wins, sweeping the three Group 1 one-mile races there while emerging as an international star.

Star of Seville, last seen racing just nine days ago in England, won the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) by one length over Physiocrate on Sunday at Chantilly. The major win came just eight days after jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer John Gosden had teamed to win the Epsom Derby with Golden Horn.

In the June 5 Epsom Oaks, Star of Seville already was beginning to tire after making the pace when she was bothered in the final furlong, fading back to ninth after the trouble, and Gosden wasted no time wheeling her back into action.

Ascot Racecourse in England set out several years ago to internationalize its prestigious Royal meeting in June, and judging from the look of the five-day meeting that begins Tuesday, it has succeeded splendidly.

Thirteen American horses will race during those five days, including California Chrome, the 2014 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year.

Maurice extended his winning streak to four races with a win in Sunday’s $1,554,918 Yasuda Kinen at a mile on turf at Tokyo, the first win in a Grade 1 for the 4-year-old colt.

Sent off as the 5-2 favorite in a field of 18, Maurice was fifth early and moved into third with a quarter-mile remaining. Ridden by Yuga Kawada for Noriyuki Hori, Maurice won by a neck over the 5-1 Vincennes. Clarente, a 41-1 outsider, was third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

CYPRESS, Calif. - William Buick, who rode Prince Bishop to victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March, has been named to ride California Chrome in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in England on June 17, trainer Art Sherman said on Sunday.

Sherman said last week that he hoped Buick would be available to ride California Chrome in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes. The booking was confirmed over the weekend. California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year, was second in the Dubai World Cup in his most recent start.

Golden Horn remained unbeaten after four starts with an impressive win in Saturday’s $2,204,058 English Derby at Epsom Downs south of London, leading a sweep of the first two positions for trainer John Gosden.

Golden Horn, supplemented to the race earlier in the week for $115,275 by owner Anthony Oppenheimer, won by 3 1/2 lengths over Jack Hobbs. Storm the Stars, a 16-1 outsider trained by William Haggas, finished third in the field of 12.

That Aidan O’Brien won the Investec Oaks on Friday at Epsom came as no surprise. O’Brien had won the race four times previously and had three entrants this year. But that he won with the filly Qualify? Now, that was a surprise.

Real Impact, the Japan-based runner who won the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes in Australia on March 21, will have his third start of the year in Sunday’s $1,554,918 Yasuda Kinen at a mile on turf at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.

The 7-year-old Real Impact will have his fourth appearance in the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen, which he won as a 3-year-old in 2011. Real Impact was third in 2012 and 13th last year.

Golden Horn, unbeaten in three career starts, was supplemented to Saturday’s $2,204,058 English Derby this week for $115,275 by owner Anthony Oppenheimer.

The steep fee might be more of an investment than a gamble.

Trained by John Gosden, Golden Horn won his group stakes debut in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York last month, moving to the fore of the division. He was the 3-2 favorite with British bookmakers as of Thursday for the Group 1 English Derby. The race is run at 1 1/2 miles on turf with a stern uphill finish at Epsom Downs, south of London.