Chrome Dominates Son Felipe

CHROME DOMINATES SAN FELIPE
    California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) stamped himself a sophomore to watch with a stylish 
7 1/4-length victory as the 7-5 favorite in Saturday’s GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita. It was the chestnut colt’s third straight win, but first against open company. California Chrome has been training at Los Alamitos since February and winning trainer Art Sherman thinks it might be rubbing off on his star charge. “He broke like that because of that Quarter Horse training at Los Alamitos,” Sherman said. “We all know Santa Anita’s a speed- biased type of track, so it was really great to see him with the hold he had on him. It’s unbelievable.” California Chrome completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.59–second fastest in the race’s 77-year history. 
    California Chrome had made a habit of beating up on fellow Cal-breds, taking the Dec. 22 King Glorious S. by 6 1/4 lengths over the synthetics at Hollywood Park before a 5 1/2-length victory over the conventional dirt at this track and trip in the Jan. 25 California Cup Derby last time out. The promising youngster, sixth in last year’s GI Del Mar Futurity, was still looking for his first win against open company. The chestnut flew out of the gate and had a two-length advantage just strides out of the gate. Taken a hold of by jockey Victor Espinoza, California Chrome was pressed by Midnight Hawk down the backstretch through fractions of :23.09 and :45.55. Midnight Hawk tried to make a run at the favorite on the turn after three-quarters in 1:09.45, but California Chrome shrugged off that rival and strode clear impressively down the lane. 
    “I’m looking at the race saying, ‘Well, I hope that horse [Midnight Hawk] doesn’t press him too hard, but I’ll tell you, when he asked him to go, he looked like a fresh horse, breaking, didn’t he,” asked winning trainer Art Sherman. “Maybe I’m looking at the wrong race, I don’t know. But I had a lot of fun watching him run.” As for what is next for the chestnut, Sherman added, “We’ll kind of play it by ear. I needed this 50 points and we’ll kind of see what happens. Now I think I deserve to go to the [GI Kentucky] Derby. I don’t think the distance will make any difference, a mile and a quarter. I think he’ll run all day.” 
    Bob Baffert, trainer of runner-up Midnight Hawk, admitted it was a tough loss. “It was a two-horse race going in,” Baffert said. “My horse ran huge. I was a little disappointed running second–he ran with that horse, but he couldn’t sustain it, and he got a little tired there at the end. You don’t want to see a horse go out that fast. When it gets warm like this, the track gets pretty fast. It’s pretty speed-biased. The horse that won it, he’s a good horse.” 
California Chrome is out of Love the Chase, who raced for the Blinkers On syndicate, which included Steven Coburn and Perry Martin. The two men purchased her as a broodmare prospect and California Chrome is her first foal. The 8-year-old mare produced fillies by Lucky Pulpit the last two years. Coburn, a resident of Nevada, works for a company that makes magnetic strips for credit cards. Martin lives in California and owns a company which tests airbags and medical equipment. 

Saturday, Santa Anita 
SAN FELIPE S.-GII, $300,500, SAX, 3-8, 3yo, 
1 1/16m, 1:40 2/5, ft. 
1–@CALIFORNIA CHROME, 118, c, 3, by Lucky Pulpit 
     1st Dam: Love the Chase, by Not for Love 
     2nd Dam: Chase It Down, by Polish Numbers 
     3rd Dam: Chase the Dream, by Sir Ivor 
O/B-Steven Coburn & Perry Martin (CA); T-Art 
Sherman; J-Victor Espinoza. $180,000. Lifetime 
Record: 9-5-1-0, $534,850. Werk Nick Rating: A. 
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
2–Midnight Hawk, 120, c, 3, Midnight Lute–Miss 
Wineshine, by Wolf Power (SAf). O-Hill ‘n’ Dale 
Equine Holdings, Inc (J G Sikura), Kitchen, Pegram, 
et al; B-Michael Pegram (KY); T-Bob Baffert.$60,000. 
3–Kristo, 118, c, 3, Distorted Humor–Capote’s 
Crown, by Capote. ($500,000 yrl ’12 KEESEP). 
O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Whisper Hill Farm LLC 
(KY); T-John W Sadler. $36,000. 
Another Ingordo Bloodstock Yearling Auction Purchase 
Consigned by Sweezey & Partners 
Margins: 7 1/4, 6 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.40, 2.10, 3.80. 
Also Ran: Schoolofhardrocks, Unstoppable Colby, Recanted, Sawyer’s Hill. Scratched: Bayern, Home Run Kitten, Rprettyboyfloyd. Click brisnet.com chart, brisnet.com PPs or brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.