‘Chrome, Shared Belief and Hoppertunity face off in San Antonio; Dortmund heads

California Chrome and Victor Espinoza team up yet again for the San Antonio (Benoit Photos)

Santa Anita Park plays host to three graded events on Saturday, two of which
have Kentucky Derby (G1) connections.

The $150,000

Robert B. Lewis S. (G3) is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series
of races that awards points toward a starting berth in the “Run for the Roses.”
The 1 1/16-mile contest drew a field of six, including unbeaten Derby hopeful
Dortmund (Big Brown).

Three races later, nine older runners will line up in the $500,000
San
Antonio S. (G2) going nine furlongs, including last year’s Kentucky Derby
winner and eventual Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Also
included in that field are 2013 champion juvenile Shared Belief (Candy Ride) and
Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday).

For a time the San Antonio was shaping up to be a rematch between Bayern (Offlee
Wild), California Chrome and Shared Belief, who were the respective first, third
and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) last November. A foot abscess ended
up keeping Bayern out of the race, but the addition of Hoppertunity from Bob
Baffert’s shedrow makes up for that loss.

California Chrome and Shared Belief are both making their four-year-old bows
in the San Antonio after closing out 2014 with wins. The Derby and Preakness S.
(G1) winner got back on the winning track following his Belmont S. (G1) fourth,
Pennsylvania Derby (G2) sixth and Breeders’ Cup Classic third with a two-length
score in the  Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar in late November. That race
was the chestnut colt’s first start on turf, and the Art Sherman pupil easily
passed the grass test with a two-length victory. Two months later, California
Chrome took home Eclipse Awards as champion three-year-old male and Horse of the
Year for 2014.

Shared Belief brought an unbeaten record into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but
saw his pristine mark shot down after a brutal wallop from Bayern coming out of
the gate at Santa Anita. The Jerry Hollendorfer charge recovered enough to run
fourth, but showed his true colors once again with a gutsy neck victory in the
December 26 Malibu S. (G1) to close out his sophomore campaign.

Dortmund (outside) just got the best of Firing Line (center) and Mr. Z. (inside) in the Los Al Futurity (Benoit Photos)

Also showing up for the San Antonio on Saturday is Grade 3 scorer and San
Pasqual fourth Tonito M. (Rock Hard Ten).

The Robert B. Lewis will kick off the stakes action at Santa Anita on
Saturday as Dortmund attempts to keep his record perfect. The Baffert trainee
broke his maiden by 4 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita, shipped to Churchill Downs to
take an optional claimer by 7 3/4 lengths just 27 days later, and showed back up
in California to triumph in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) by a head last out on
December 20.

Dortmund will keep Garcia in the saddle as he takes on Los Alamitos Futurity
runner-up Firing Line (Line of David), who just lost the bob on the wire, and
Rock Shandy (Lemon Drop Kid), placed in both the Sham S. (G3) and Cecil B.
DeMille S. (G3) in his past pair of starts.

Sandwiched between the Lewis and San Antonio is the $200,000
San
Marcos S. (G2), which drew nine to go 1 1/4 miles over Santa Anita’s turf.
Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt) and Patrioticandproud (Proud Citizen) were one-two,
respectively, in both the Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) and San Gabriel S. (G2) in
their most recent races and face off yet again in the San Marcos.