'Chrome,' American Pharoah Top CA Worktab

The stars were out for workouts in Southern California the morning of Feb. 21.



Still prepping for a likely run in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse March 28, Steve Coburn and Perry Martin's California Chrome highlighted the group with a half-mile work in :48 4/5 at his home track, Los Alamitos Racecourse. The Art Sherman trainee comes off a runner-up finish to Shared Belief in the Feb. 7 San Antonio Invitational Stakes (gr. II).



At Santa Anita Park, 2-year-old champion male American Pharoah stretched out to six furlongs for the first time this year, getting the distance in 1:12 2/5 in preparation for the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park March 14. The Bob Baffert trainee's work was just off the bullet time for the morning of 1:12 1/5 set by Sidepocket Champ.

American Pharoah will be making his first start for Zayat Stables since last September, when he won the Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) and FrontRunner Stakes (gr. I) before being sidelined from the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) with what has been described as a deep foot bruise. 



Other notable moves came over four furlongs at the Arcadia oval.



Firing Line went :48 1/5 in his first breeze since a narrow runner-up finish to Dortmund in the Feb. 7 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. III), while champion and six-time grade I winner Beholder covered four furlongs in :48 flat for trainer Richard Mandella. Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Bayern had his third breeze of the year for Baffert going four furlongs as well, getting the distance in :50 flat.

Beholder and Bayern have not yet started in 2015. Spendthrift's Beholder was sidelined from the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) with an illness, her last race a victory for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the Sept. 27 Zenyatta Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita. Bayern was last seen winning the Classic Nov. 2 for Kaleem Shah and Baffert.