California Chrome Named Del Mar Horse of Meet

A hard-fought victory against a game Dortmund in the San Diego Handicap (gr. II) and a wire-to-wire domination of a field that included defending champion Beholder in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (gr. I) made California Chrome   the unanimous choice as Del Mar's Horse of the Meeting for 2016.

 

The 5-year-old California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit  , owned by Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farm and trained by Art Sherman, came into the meet as North America's all-time earnings leader with more than $12.5 million, and added $720,000 to the total with his two wins.

 

With jockey Victor Espinoza deciding to take control of the pace immediately after California Chrome drew inside in the Pacific Classic, Beholder was never closer than 1 1/2 lengths as California Chrome drew away in the stretch to a five-length win that delighted his legion of fans.

 

California Chrome also was the unanimous choice for Older Horse of the meeting. Other divisional winners included Lord Nelson, sprinter; Midnight Storm, grass horse; Stellar Wind, older female; Harmonize, 3-year-old filly; Free Rose, 3-year-old; Union Strike, 2-year-old filly; and Klimt, 2-year-old.

 

The California Chrome connections share top honors with Rockingham Ranch in the owners' department for the 39-day meet.

 

California Chrome's Perry Martin of Yuba City, Cal., and Taylor Made Farm of Nicholasville, Ky., swept away the prize for most purse money won with $720,000 banked. The Rockingham Ranch flag flies for owner Gary Hartunian of Sherman Oaks, Cal. His horses, trained by Peter Miller, won 11 races at the session, the most of any owner. He also had 10 seconds and two thirds from 45 starts for total earnings of $485,805. 

 

The first time Del Mar had a tie for the jockey championship was 1950, when riding legends John Longden and Bill Shoemaker deadlocked with 60 wins apiece. At this year's 77th summer meeting, four-time defending champion Rafael Bejarano, 34, and 24-year-old rising star Flavien Prat tied with 38 wins after a dramatic final six races.

 

One behind Prat to start the day, Bejarano drew even by winning the $300,000 Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) on Klimt in the fifth race of the day for trainer Bob Baffert. Prat countered with a win on 2-1 favorite With Honors in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies, the eighth race on the program and final stakes of the meeting. Bejarano knotted things again with an easy victory aboard odds-on choice Big Gray Rocket in the penultimate race of the meeting.

 

Bejarano did not have a mount in the finale, and when Prat didn't win, the tie was final.

 

Phil D'Amato claimed his first Del Mar training title, and third straight on the Southern California circuit, with 23 wins during the 39-day meeting. Peter Miller's one victory on closing day moved him to second with 21, one ahead of Richard Baltas.