California Chrome could have two runs at Meydan Racecourse during the Dubai World Cup Carnival and will ship to the emirate in 10 days after making a winning return on his first start for nine months on Saturday night.
The Dubai World Cup runner-up had not raced since he found only Prince Bishop too good in March, but sporting new steely grey silks and matching headgear he confirmed favouritism with ease in the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita.
California Chrome’s victory under Victor Espinoza propelled him past Tiznow’s record as the highest California-bred horse and he will travel to the UAE with US$6,442,650 (Dh22.66 million) prize-money in the bank.
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“We’re going to Dubai, I’m adamant,” joint owner Perry Martin told reporters. “I’d like to see him run at a mile and an eighth and then a mile and a quarter prior to running in the World Cup and I’ll think that’ll have him 100 per cent.
“California Chrome seemed to struggle a little bit at the end, I thought. It looked as though he was getting a little tired, which is why I think we need two in Dubai. I’ll talk to the trainer and we’ll decide.”
Not for the first time a post-race difference of opinion materialised between connections as trainer Art Sherman felt immediately afterwards that the five-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit had done enough to have just one prep run at Meydan.
“Right now I think, Wow! Maybe the Dubai World Cup. That would be my greatest thrill. He’ll ship January 21, have one prep, then come home after the World Cup.
“He could’ve opened up turning for home, but Victor put the full-Nelson on him. It was just what we needed. He’ll get a lot out of this race, believe me.”
On paper the length and a quarter back to Imperative was hardly impressive. California Chrome posted solid fractions for the duration of the 1,700-metre contest, however, and Espinoza barely let his mount out of third gear.
“The way Chrome ran today is how he ran before,” Espinoza said. “I don’t think he got too tired. For such a long time off I think it was a good race, I expected him to be more tired than he was.
“He’s had so much time off and I didn’t want to burn him too much, I wanted to go easy on him today.
“Today is what I wanted. I didn’t want to override him, I didn’t want to push him. I wanted a balance.”
If California Chrome were to have two runs in Dubai, the first suitable race for him would be on February 4 in either the second round of Al Maktoum Challenge, a Group 2 race over 1,900 metres, or in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes over 1,600 metres.
The Maktoum Challenge is worth $250,000, while the Firebreak Stakes is $200,000, the same purse as the San Pasqual.
The concluding round of the Maktoum Challenge, also worth $250,000, is then staged over the World Cup distance of 2,000 metres on Super Saturday on March 5 ahead of the world’s most valuable race three weeks later.
Mike de Kock has confirmed that Mubtaahij, last season’s UAE Derby winner, will make his seasonal bow in the Firebreak Stakes as he builds towards the World Cup.
Mubtaahij has not run since finishing fourth to US Horse of the Year American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes in America in June.
Following that defeat he returned to De Kock’s Abington Place Stables in Newmarket in England for the summer before shipping to Dubai.
“We’re very happy with him,” De Kock said. “He is a bigger and stronger horse now. He has more condition than we would have liked but it is a long Carnival and we want him to be ready at the end of March. He is a serious World Cup horse.”
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