California Chrome Blazes in Santa Anita Drill

Immediately after California Chrome  's final workout in preparation for the San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II), trainer Art Sherman stayed quiet, but his eyes widened in excitement.



The 2014 Horse of the Year exceeded all expectations running six furlongs in an eye-popping 1:10.04 under Victor Espinoza during a special late-morning workout session Jan. 2 at Santa Anita Park just before the day's races.



"I thought if he went in 1:11 and change or 1:12, I'd be happy," Sherman said from the Santa Anita grandstand after watching the 5-year-old Lucky Pulpit   horse run quarter-mile fractions of :23.65 and :46.66, with a gallop out to seven furlongs in 1:22 4/5. "I'm happy."



There were some changes, however, in California Chrome's recent workout pattern. In Saturday's drill, he not only breezed over the Santa Anita main track for the first time since returning to the Sherman barn at Los Alamitos Race Course in October, but also had his blinkers back on. Training up to the Jan. 9 San Pasqual, he's been without blinkers and Sherman was intending on racing without them, but those plans have changed.



"When you have a horse like him, he's won all his races with blinkers, but I had to give it a try," Sherman said. "He's so cool now to train—you know, he's a different horse. He's going to be more focused in the race. You can just see in the workout. He's stronger."



The six-furlong time for California Chrome was the fastest at Santa Anita since the Southern California track reopened for training in September.

"This work was excellent," Espinoza said. "He's different from before. Soundness-wise, he's different. He always had a little bit of weakness behind, in his back end, but with the time off, he's come back... He's stronger and I could feel that the whole time he was running."

Only two other horses have drilled faster than 1:11 flat at Santa Anita since September—Imperative (1:10 4/5, Nov. 9) and American Pharoah   (1:10 4/5, Oct. 20).



"This is the best I've seen him since I've had him," Sherman said. "He looks ready to me."

California Chrome will remain at Santa Anita up to the San Pasqual, with gallops and schooling sessions scheduled. If weather permits, an afternoon paddock schooling session is likely.