California Chrome © Zoe Metz for Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Superstar California Chrome, the top-ranked Thoroughbred in North America with record earnings of more than $12.5 million, returns to Del Mar Saturday as the 126-pound highweight and prohibitive favorite in the 75th running of the Grade II $200,000 San Diego Handicap.
The California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit, Horse of the Year in 214 when he won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, will have regular rider Victor Espinoza in the saddle as he seeks to embellish an already brilliant record of a dozen victories in 21 starts. The Art Sherman-trained five-year-old will be making his first start since winning the richest race in the world, the $10 million Dubai World Cup in late March.
Taking on California Chrome in the mile and one-sixteenth San Diego, carded as the ninth race on a ten-race program, will be Hard Aces, 118 and Santiago Gonzalez; second favorite Dortmund, 121, Gary Stevens; Soi Phet, 115, Kent Desormeaux; Crittenden, 114, Martin Garcia; Follow Me Crev, 116, Alonso Quinonez, and Win the Space, 116, Mike Smith.
California Chrome, a stakes-winner as a two-year-old at Del Mar in 2013 when he won the Graduation Stakes, is unbeaten this year in three starts, having won the San Pasqual at Santa Anita in January and a prep race in Dubai for the World Cup.
Heading California Chrome’s opposition will be the talented Dortmund from the barn of trainer Bob Baffert. Dortmund hasn’t run since winning the Native Diver Stakes last fall at Del Mar. Previously, as a three-year-old, he won the Santa Anita Derby and was third to stablemate American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby. He boasts earnings of $1.7 million.
The San Diego Handicap is the major steppingstone to Del Mar’s signature event of the summer season, the Grade I $1 million TVG Pacific Classic at a mile and one-quarter Saturday, August 20, a race that is also expected to attract last year’s winner, the brilliant mare Beholder.
Saturday’s supporting feature is the Grade II $200,000 San Clemente Handicap for three-year-old fillies at one mile on the grass. Topweighted at 122 pounds in a field of eleven is Stays in Vegas, to be ridden by Alex Solis.
Post time for the first race Saturday is 2 p.m.