Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Post time favorite California Chrome set the pace and cruised to victory in Saturday's $300,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
The San Felipe is the final local prep for the Santa Anita Derby on April 5. Winning the race was worth 50 points for California Chrome toward a start in the Kentucky Derby on May 3.
The original 10-horse field was reduced to seven with the scratches of 8-5 morning line favorite Bayern, Home Run Kitten and Rprettyboyfloyd. Bayern suffered a deep foot bruise on Thursday.
Sent off at 7-5, California Chrome, making his first start in more than a month, was first out of gate with jockey Victor Espinoza. Pressing the leader on the outside was 2-1 second pick Midnight Hawk.
The top two took the field up the backstretch and into the far turn. California Chrome, trained by Art Sherman, moved away from Midnight Hawk on the final turn and opened his lead entering the stretch.
California Chrome quickly ran away from Midnight Hawk to register a 7 1/4- length win over the gray colt. Finishing third was Kristo followed by Schoolofhardrocks.
"He ran like I expected him to," said Espinoza. "I wanted to try something new today, so I let him go right out of the gate. I don't know if people expected me to go right to the lead, but I wanted to let him enjoy his race.
"In these races, you can't just try and do too much with them. I think it's important for him to do his thing for the first five-eighths and be happy."
Rounding out the order of finish were Unstoppable Colby, Recanted and Sawyer's Hill.
The time for the San Felipe on a fast track was 1:40.59.
"I needed this 50 points," Sherman noted, "and we'll kind of see what happens. Now I think I deserve to go to the (Kentucky) Derby. I don't think the distance will make any difference, a mile and a quarter. I think he'll run all day."
Owned by Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, California Chrome posted his third straight win and collected $180,000. The chestnut colt has won five of nine career starts for $534,850.
California Chrome had a 5 1/2-length victory in the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita on Jan. 25. The colt won the King Glorious Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths in Hollywood Park's final stakes on Nov. 22.
California Chrome returned $4.80, $2.60 and $2.10. Midnight Hawk paid $3.00 and $2.20, and Kristo paid $2.60 to show.
