California Chrome Brilliant in Del Mar Breeze

If there were any lingering doubts about California Chrome  's condition in preparation for the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) after some less than sparkling recent workouts at his Los Alamitos Race Course base, the chestnut runner put those concerns away like an overmatched opponent in a July 16 breeze at Del Mar.

After a long walk from the appropriately labeled Barn CC on the Del Mar backside, the 5-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit   schooled in the paddock and took several spins around the walking ring, with the occasional head toss thrown in.

Once on the track, the 2014 Horse of the Year put in his best work since returning from overseas after his score in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) March 26. A bit sluggish recently during morning drills at Los Alamitos, California Chrome apparently liked the change of scenery at Del Mar, logging a :59 1/5 work for five furlongs with the rarely issued Southern California "breezing" tag from the track clockers.

He clicked off fractions of :12 flat, :23 4/5, and :35 3/5, then galloped out to six furlongs in 1:12 and change under regular exercise rider Dihigi Gladney. Compared visually to his recent drills at Los Alamitos, California Chrome looked like a different horse. At Los Alamitos, Gladney has been asking California Chrome to finish, but at Del Mar he did it all on his own. Up to that point in the morning, no other horse had worked five furlongs faster than 1:01 flat.

California Chrome also got a look at likely San Diego rival Dortmund, who was standing at the eighth pole as the chestnut breezed by.

"He's got his game face on and he knows when it's time to get ready. He's a different horse when it gets serious," trainer Art Sherman said.

Also on hand to watch the work in the grandstand, along with a few hundred fans and other onlookers, was majority owner Perry Martin, Frank Taylor of Taylor Made Farm, and regular jockey Victor Espinoza. Espinoza, who didn't work California Chrome before the World Cup and similarly stayed off for San Diego preparations, was happy with what he saw.

"It looked like he was doing it in 1:01," Espinoza said. "To work :59 like that—it's impressive."

Sherman said California Chrome will spend the week leading up to the July 23 San Diego galloping and schooling in the Del Mar paddock every day to get familiar with his surroundings. The 1 1/16-mile race will be his fourth start of 2016, following victories in the San Pasqual (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park in January, a Dubai handicap race in February at Meydan, and the World Cup.