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Bayern & California Chrome step towards a possible early-season rematch
- Updated: January 3, 2015
Bayern and California Chrome took another step toward a possible early-season rematch when the leading Horse of the Year contenders worked sharply about an hour apart the morning of Jan. 3 at their respective training bases.
At Santa Anita Park, Bayern turned in a handy five-furlong drill in 1:00 2/5, while in neighboring Orange County, California Chrome clocked six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 at Los Alamitos Race Course.
Both are on course to clash for the first time since the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes Feb. 7 at Santa Anita, a race that is also expected to attract Shared Belief.
“He worked real nice,” Bob Baffert said of Classic winner Bayern, who had regular rider Martin Garcia aboard. “He was very comfortable. We’re just working to get him back to the races. We have a few spots in mind, including the San Antonio and the Donn.”
The Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park is $500,000 race at 1 1/8 miles the same day as the San Antonio at the same distance.
It was the fourth work since the Breeders’ Cup for Kaleem Shah’s newly turned 4-year-old son of Offlee Wild, a six-time winner from 10 starts last year with a North American-best $4,389,680 in earnings.
Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome also had regular pilot Victor Espinoza aboard for his Saturday drill. Wearing blinkers while running over a cleared track just after 8 a.m. PST, the California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit cut fractions of :23 4/5 seconds, :48 2/5 seconds and 1:00 2/5, according to Los Alamitos head clocker Russ Hudak.
“Great” is how the drill was termed by Alan Sherman, son of and assistant to Art Sherman, trainer of Perry Martin and Steve Coburn’s California Chrome.
“It would be fun to see these three horses come together again in the San Antonio.”
California Chrome won six of nine starts last year and earned $4,007,800. He has had one start since finishing third in the Classic, winning the Hollywood Derby Nov. 29 in his first start on grass at Del Mar. He has posted four workouts at Los Alamitos since that effort.
Meanwhile, 2013 champion 2-year-old male Shared Belief, winner of seven of eight lifetime starts, including the Malibu Stakes Dec. 26, also is ticketed for the San Antonio. The gelded son of Candy Ride suffered his only loss when he finished fourth after a rough start in the Nov. 1 Classic.
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer plans to work Shared Belief Jan. 6 at his Golden Gate Fields headquarters.
