By Bloodhorse.com
CYPRESS, Calif. (Oct. 11, 2014) — Under regular rider Victor Espinoza, California Chrome worked five furlongs at his Los Alamitos Racecourse base the morning of Oct. 11 in :59 3/5 in preparation for the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I).
It was the second work for the 3-year-old dual classic winner since finishing sixth in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) Sept. 20 at Parx Racing. He worked a half mile Oct. 4 at Los Alamitos in a bullet :47 2/5.
“He looked good. He wasn’t pressured much on the gallop out,” said Los Alamitos head clocker Russ Hudak, noting that California Chrome got the first quarter mile in :24 1/5. “It didn’t look like he was pushed real hard. It was a good, steady work.”
Added Alan Sherman, son of and assistant to trainer Art Sherman: “He worked great. We’re real happy with him. He’ll go five or six furlongs next Saturday.”
The $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic is Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
Owned and bred by Steve Coburn and Perry Martin, California Chrome is looking to regain the form that saw him reel off successive victories in the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II), Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), and Preakness Stakes (gr I). The son of Lucky Pulpit ran fourth in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in his start prior to the Pennsylvania Derby.
California Chrome has won five of seven starts this year while earning more than $3.3 million. His career line stands at 8-1-0 in 14 starts while banking $3,542,650.
On the work tab at Santa Anita was Classic possibility Candy Boy, who finished third in the Pennsylvania Derby. He clocked five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 Saturday as trainer John Sadler considers a possible start in the Breeders’ Cup.
“He’s training up for it, but we’re not a definite yet,” Sadler said. “We want to look and see how it shapes up. …We’re in our own back yard and we’ll make up our mind when the money is due. It’s a lot of money to run. A mile and a quarter should be good for him.”
Pre-entries will be taken Oct. 20; the entry deadline is Oct. 27.
“We’ve run well in past Breeders’ Cups; we’ve had some seconds and thirds, and Candy Boy is doing well,” Sadler said. “He’s a probable at this point.”
Candy Boy, like unbeaten Classic favorite Shared Belief a son of Candy Ride , closed late to be third behind loose-on-the-lead Bayern in the Pennsylvania Derby, but has not won since capturing the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) in his 3-year-old debut Feb. 8.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable, Candy Boy has failed to earn a check only once in 11 career starts, finishing 13th when taken up in the Kentucky Derby. The bay colt has earned $786,800.
Sadler was second with Switch in the Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) in 2010 and 2011 and third with her in 2012; third with Whatsthescript in the 2008 Mile (gr. IT); third with Capo Bastone in the 2012 Juvenile (gr. I); and third with Cost of Freedom in the 2009 Sprint (gr. I).