Horse of the Year in 2014, when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, California Chrome might be better than ever at age 5.
Horse racing's career earnings leader turned Del Mar's biggest race of the season into a rout, winning the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic by five lengths Saturday in what track announcer Trevor Denman called a "canter."
Leading from gate to wire going a mile and a quarter, California Chrome kicked clear immediately from champion racemare Beholder, last year's Pacific Classic winner by seven lengths. Dortmund finished third and Hoppertunity fourth, both Grade 1 winners trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with Hoppertunity the Grade 2 Rebel winner at Oaklawn Park in 2014.
"I don't worry about any other horse," said jockey Victor Espinoza, previously 0 for 16 in the Pacific Classic. "I just worry about California Chrome and as long as he's comfortable and happy he's going to win the race."
Espinoza, who rode 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, said after the race that California Chrome is "the best horse I've ever ridden."
California Chrome gained a Beyer Speed Figure of 113, matching his career best, when clocked in 2:00.13 carrying 124 pounds. Owned by Perry Martin and Taylormade Farm, California Chrome is 5 for 5 this year, winning twice at Del Mar after taking the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March. The son of Lucky Pulpit has earned $13,252,650, winning 14 times from 23 starts.
California Chrome earned automatic entry to the $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Santa Anita Park, possibly after a prep race in the California track's Grade 1 Awesome Again. California Chrome finished third in the 2014 Classic, also at Santa Anita, behind the Baffert-trained winner Bayern and longshot Toast of New York. California Chrome did not run in last year's Classic, won by American Pharoah at Keeneland (Lexington, Ky.)
California Chrome remained No. 1 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association weekly poll with 429 points and 42 first-place votes. Beholder, a Grade 1 winner in each of her five racing seasons, moved up one notch to sixth place despite her second-straight defeat. Frosted, a dual Grade 1 winner in his 4-year-old season for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, is second in the poll, followed by defending Breeders' Cup Mile winner Tepin, unbeaten champion filly Songbird and turf star Flintshire.
Art Sherman, the horse's 79-year-old trainer, checked on California Chrome early Sunday and said "everything looked good." Later, the Pacific Classic winner was vanned back to his home base at Los Alamitos.
"I knew at the three-eighths pole the race was over and Victor said he geared him down the last sixteenth of a mile," Sherman said. "If he would have rode him out there's no doubt he would have been close to the track record. But this was great. I'm not looking for track records. Let him come back well. We've got some serious races ahead this year with the Breeders' Cup Classic being the final goal."
Richard Mandella, Hall of Fame trainer of Beholder, tipped his cap to California Chrome and trainer Sherman.
"Art's done a great job with his horse and he deserves all the accolades. [California Chrome] wasn't going to take any beating yesterday," Mandella said Sunday. "He was the man. We were it last year (in the Pacific Classic), but he was it yesterday."
* Preakness winner Exaggerator, ranked No. 7 in the NTRA poll, is one of 14 entered in Saturday's running of the Grade 1 $1.25 million Travers at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Exaggerator, third in the Kentucky Derby, gained his third Grade 1 victory of the year in the Haskell Invitational at New Jersey's Monmouth Park last time out. With Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux riding for his older brother, trainer Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator is the early 3-1 choice in the largest Travers field since 1977.
Arkansas Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Creator, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, keeps Irad Ortiz Jr., his Belmont-winning rider, aboard. Others entered include Belmont runner-up Destin and surprise last-out Jim Dandy winner Laoban, who drew post 13 in the mile-and-a-quarter Travers.
American Freedom (Rafael Bejarano) and Arrogate (Hall of Famer Mike Smith) represent Baffert, Travers-winning trainer with Horse of the Year Point Given in 2001 and second last year (to Keen Ice) with American Pharoah.
Carded as race 11, the Travers is set for 4:44 p.m. CDT with live TV coverage on NBC (Resort Channel 4) from 3:30-5 p.m. Central.
Sports on 08/24/2016