California Chrome returns in San Pasqual; nine entered in
Sham
Dual classic winner and 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome heads a field
of seven for Saturday’s $200,000 San Pasqual (G2) at Santa Anita. The 1
1/16-mile event marks the chestnut’s first outing since the Dubai World Cup (G1)
last March. Second in that $10 million event, California Chrome is again being
pointed to the World Cup this year on March 26.
After the San Pasqual, California Chrome is expected to turn in his final
World Cup prep at Meydan in Dubai.
Also at Santa Anita on Saturday, a field of nine three-year-olds will run one
mile in the $100,000 Sham (G3), a race worth 10 qualifying points to the winner
as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.
Gulfstream Park will get in on the graded action Saturday by hosting three
stakes, two on turf (Ft. Lauderdale [G2] and Marshua’s River [G3]) and one
on dirt (Hal’s Hope [G3]).
For the complete field story on these races, visit the TwinSpires blog via
the above link.
Also at the blog on Wednesday:
Finalists for the 2015 Eclipse Awards have been announced, with American
Pharoah a near certainty to be named Horse of the Year over Beholder and
Runhappy.
Kellie Reilly has published her final installment of the
Reilly Turf Awards, which covers events on the international turf scene from
2015.
Keeneland has released the stakes schedule for its 2016 Spring Meet, and
several graded events have received a boost in purse.