California Chrome zips six furlongs in 1:10 1/5

California Chrome was in full flight two weeks away from the Penn Derby (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com)

Kentucky Derby
and Preakness star
California Chrome wowed the
Los
Alamitos crowd with a blazing

six-furlong work between races on Saturday, as the flashy chestnut continues
preparations for his comeback in the September 20 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx.

Rested since his Triple Crown bid resulted in a dead-heat fourth in the June
7 Belmont Stakes,
the Art Sherman trainee donned his blinkers — and teamed up with regular jockey
Victor Espinoza — for this most serious drill since he returned from his
vacation. California Chrome took to the track after the 3RD race, escorted by
exercise rider Willie Delgado astride a pony, and appeared a bit sweaty before
he broke off for his work.

The dual classic winner quickly went through his gears and reeled off an
opening quarter in :24 3/5 on the fast track. Striding out all on his own, with
minimal encouragement from Espinoza, California Chrome continued to rip through
fractions of :47 4/5 and :59. He finished six furlongs in 1:10 1/5, by far the
fastest of four moves at the distance on the day, and galloped out with good
energy around the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch.

California Chrome is currently the leader of the three-year-old division,
having swept six straight races, including the San Felipe, Santa Anita Derby and his heroics at Churchill Downs and Pimlico,
prior to his troubled loss at Belmont. Steve Coburn and Perry
Martin’s homebred brings an overall mark of 13-8-1-0, $3,532,650 into his fall
campaign.