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USA: California Chrome makes long-awaited return
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USA: California Chrome makes long-awaited return

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California Chrome: returns to action at Santa Anita on Saturday

California Chrome: returns to action at Santa Anita on Sunday morning

  PICTURE: Getty Images  

 By Nicholas Godfrey 6:00PM 8 JAN 2016 

Preview: USA, Saturday 12am GMT

Santa Anita: San Pasqual Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f, dirt, 4yo+

THE waiting is finally over for the army of ‘Chromies’. After nine months on the sidelines and an abortive trip to England for Royal Ascot, California Chrome (Art Sherman/Victor Espinoza) will make his long-awaited comeback after injury on Saturday at Santa Anita, when he has his first race since finishing a gallant runner-up in last year’s Dubai World Cup.

Given the celebrity of last year’s equine superstar American Pharoah, it is easy to forget quite how popular California Chrome was during his Horse of the Year season in 2014 when the rags-to-riches colt enjoyed a six-race winning spree culminating in victories in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. In the process, he gave Victor Espinoza a dress rehearsal for his history-making exploits in 2015 with American Pharoah.

Much of the popularity of the California Chrome team derived from his relatively humble connections, namely veteran trainer Art Sherman – now 78, at 77 he was the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby – and small-time owner-breeders Steve Coburn and Perry Martin. At times it almost seemed as if the Hollywood screenwriters based just down the freeway from the blue-collar hero’s Los Angeles base might have struggled to come up with a story to match a remarkable rise to fame.

Yet the gloss was to fade, even if the horse’s popularity did not. He missed out on the Triple Crown, prompting a churlish outburst from part-owner Steve Coburn, and won just once more in 2014. Then a major rift developed among the Chromies when he was sent to the Dubai World Cup, after which majority owner Perry Martin insisted the horse be sent to Britain for Royal Ascot, where an eve-of-race setback meant he missed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Shipped back to North America, he was sent to Chicago, where he was found to have bruised a cannon bone, thus derailing plans to run in the Arlington Million and seemingly ending the horse’s career.

Return trip to Dubai

Yet there was to be still another twist, as retirement plans were shelved and California Chrome was sent back to Sherman, who had opposed the Royal Ascot visit in the first place.

Now he is readying his stable star for a return trip to the Dubai World Cup via Saturday’s return in the San Pasqual.

What is more, Sherman is enthusing about the horse’s recent workouts, most notably a blazing six-furlong spin last weekend. “He’s the best he’s ever been since I’ve had him,” said the trainer. “He looks ready to me. He hasn’t run in nine months and there’s nothing like a having a race but if he has a good trip, he’ll be tough to beat.”

First attempt in conditions

But it would not be California Chrome if there wasn’t a touch of the imponderable, and this time it may come in the form of an unlikely wet track. Remember what Albert Hammond said? It never rains in southern California; man it pours, man it pours.

California Chrome has never faced a muddy track. “It doesn’t complicate anything,” said Sherman, speaking to the Blood-Horse. “We just want to make sure it’s a safe racetrack, and I’m sure it’s going to be okay. He’s never run in mud, but he’s training in mud. He’s been galloping on the training track and he seems to go through it fine.

“We’re all kinda waiting to see – we don’t get to run horses in the mud out here. It’s hard to get a gauge of how the track is going to be.”

Serious threat

California Chrome faces at least one serious threat in the shape of fellow Grade 1 winner Hoppertunity (Bob Baffert/Martin Garcia), who may also be heading for Dubai.

Also lining up is Santa Anita (ex-Hollywood) Gold Cup winner Hard Aces (John Sadler/Joe Talamo), sixth behind American Pharoah in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on his most recent appearance.

Ladbrokes: 4-7 California Chrome, 3 Hoppertunity, 12 Hard Aces, 16 Point Piper, 20 Imperative, 25 Alfa Bird, 33 Blingo, 40 Mystery Train

Also on Saturday

Aqueduct: Interborough Stakes (ungraded) 6f, dirt, 4yo+ f/m (6.20pm GMT)

Breeders’ Cup runner-up La Verdad (Linda Rice/Jose Ortiz), an Eclipse Award finalist in the female sprint division, is the main draw card.

Gulfstream Park: Marshua’s River Stakes (Grade 3) 1m1/2f, turf, 4yo+ f/m (6.35pm GMT)

Al Shaqab’s Sandiva (Todd Pletcher/Javier Castellano), who won the Nell Gwyn for Richard Fahey in 2014, breaks from the rail in a competitive contest as she kicks off her 2016 campaign. She won here twice last winter.

Gulfstream Park: Hal’s Hope Stakes (Grade 3) 1m, dirt, 4yo+ (8.05pm GMT)

Another significant runner for Al Shaqab as ex-French Mshawish (Todd Pletcher/Javier Castellano), three times a winner on the Gulfstream grass, gets another chance on dirt after a promising effort in the Cigar Mile. The Grade 1 Donn could be his target if he likes the surface, with Dubai on the agenda again in March.

Rivals include Cigar Mile third Matrooh (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz), formerly trained by William Haggas, and course specialist Valid (Marcus Vitali/Luis Saez), who is nine-from-12 at this venue.

Ladbrokes: 13-8 Mshawish, 2 Matrooh, 3 Valid, 10 Mr. Jordan, 25 Grand Shores, 33 Midnight Cello

Santa Anita: Sham Stakes (Grade 3) 1m, 3yo, dirt (11pm GMT)

The California road to the Kentucky Derby starts here – and with three runners representing Doug O’Neill and two for Bob Baffert, the big names are testing the water. Stakes winner Found Money (Mario Gutierrez) leads the way for O’Neill, who has Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Nyquist waiting to return next month, while Let’s Meet In Rio (Kent Desormeaux) won a maiden special weight at Los Alamitos for Baffert.

Less well-known is trainer Janet Armstrong, who switches Dressed In Hermes (Mike Smith) from the turf for his dirt debut as he bids to win a second Graded stakes.

 

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