California Chrome remains on course for the Dubai World Cup on March 28 following his defeat to Shared Belief in the San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday.
Shared Belief was too good in the stretch for America’s reigning horse of the year and, under Mike Smith, the dark bay powered clear of his rival to win by one-and-a-half lengths. Hoppertunity was third.
Art Sherman had stated in the lead-up to the Grade 2 contest that California Chrome would be using his first start as a four year old as a springboard to Dubai and the 77-year-old trainer had not changed his mind in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s 1800-metre event.
“We will see how he cools out and if everything goes good it is still on the table,” Sherman told HRTV. “He ran his eyeballs out. It was a good match up. I am so proud of my horse and he kept on running.
“We have got a lot of options, it is only the beginning of the year. You probably saw two of the best horses in the country.”
It was the fourth successive defeat on dirt for California Chrome after he was eclipsed in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November, the Pennsylvania Derby in September and the Belmont Stakes in June.
Jockey Victor Espinoza revealed afterwards that his mount needed the run and would be ready to race on his next start.
Shared Belief was an unlikely runner in the Dubai World Cup before he secured his ninth success from 10 starts and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer once again all but ruled out a trip to Meydan.
“We’ll look hard at the Santa Anita Handicap, we’ve always talked about that race,” he said.
The Santa Anita Handicap is staged on March 7.
The United States could well have another challenger for the world’s most valuable race as Todd Pletcher’s Constitution made all the running to win the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Javier Castellano, Constitution beat last year’s Donn winner Lea by three quarters of a length in the first Grade 1 of the US season for older horses.
Constitution missed last season’s Triple Crown races because of injury after he had shown he was a contender with a narrow success in the Florida Derby in March.
The four-year-old son of Tapit, the 2004 Wood Memorial winner, returned to racing in October when beaten into third by Hoppertunity in the Grade 1 Clarke Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Constitution is owned in part by Winstar Farm, who sent Well Armed to win the World Cup in 2009, and Elliott Walden, president of the syndicate, revealed Dubai is at the forefront of his planning.
“It is exciting to have him back,” he said. “Right now we are looking to maybe take him to Dubai.
“That’s been the objective but we’ll see how he comes out of the race.”
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