ARCADIA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2016)\u2014With the $6 million Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic at Santa Anita looming on Nov. 5, superstar California Chrome, North America\u2019s all-time earnings leader with $13,252,650, towers over six rivals in Saturday\u2019s Grade I, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1\/8 miles at The Great Race Place.<\/p>\n
Fresh off a smashing five length score in the Grade I Pacific Classic at 1 \u00bc miles Aug. 20, California Chrome has won five races in a row, most notably the $10 million Dubai World Cup three starts back on March 26.<\/p>\n
CALIFORNIA CHROME: Trained by Art Sherman throughout his remarkable 23-race career, the 5-year-old California-bred horse by Lucky Pulpit began his most recent win skein with a facile 1 \u00bc length win in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 9, his fourth win from seven overall starts in Arcadia. A winner of the 2014 Santa Anita and Kentucky Derbies, \u201cChrome,\u201d who was voted Horse of the Year in 2014, is a racing rarity on many accounts, including the fact he is a full horse competing at racing\u2019s highest levels at age five. Blessed with incredible natural speed and stamina, regular rider Victor Espinoza declared \u201cCalifornia Chrome is the best horse I have ever ridden,\u201d following his victory in the Pacific Classic\u2014a very large statement indeed considering Espinoza guided American Pharoah to a Triple Crown triumph and Breeders\u2019 Cup Classic honors in 2015. Owned by Taylor Made Farm and Perry Martin\u2019s California Chrome, LLC, the striking chestnut is now 23-14-3-1 overall.<\/p>\n
DORTMUND: A winner of the 2015 Santa Anita Derby, he made California Chrome \u201crun\u201d two starts back when second, beaten a half length in the mile and one sixteenth San Diego Handicap July 23. However, Dortmund was never a threat to \u201cChrome\u201d in their next encounter, when third, beaten 7 \u00bc lengths in the Pacific Classic. Trained by Bob Baffert, he\u2019ll be ridden for a second time by Rafael Bejarano and can be expected to menace anyone desirous of the early lead. A massive 4-year-old colt by Big Brown, Dortmund will be making his third start of 2016. Owned by Kaleem Shah, Dortmund is 12-8-1-2 with earnings of $1,872,480.<\/p>\n
HOPPERTUNITY: Also conditioned by Baffert, the 5-year-old by Any Given Saturday is enjoying a solid year, as he\u2019s banked more than $1.4 million from five starts, the most recent a well beaten fourth behind California Chrome in the Pacific Classic. A workmanlike Grade I performer, he\u2019ll be facing \u201cChrome\u201d for the fourth time this year, having run third in the Grade II San Pasqual Stakes Jan. 9, third in the Dubai World Cup March 26 and the aforementioned fourth place finish in the Pacific Classic. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Hoppertunity has three wins from 11 starts at Santa Anita and is 21-5-6-4 overall with earnings of $2,962,675.<\/p>\n
THE GRADE I AWESOME AGAIN STAKES IN POST POSITION ORDER WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
\nRace 7 of (of 11) Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PST<\/p>\n
1. California Chrome\u2014Victor Espinoza\u2014125
\n2. Dortmund\u2014Rafael Bejarano\u2014121
\n3. Hoppertunity\u2014Flavien Prat\u2014121
\n4. Win the Space\u2014Gary Stevens\u2014121
\n5. Soi Phet\u2014Kent Desormeaux\u2014121
\n6. El Huerfano\u2014Martin Pedroza\u2014121
\n7. Hard Aces\u2014Santiago Gonzalez\u2014121
\n8.<\/p>\n
First post time on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates open at 10:30 a.m. For scratches, late changes and complete morning line information, please visit santaanita.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ARCADIA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2016)—With the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita looming on Nov. 5, superstar California Chrome, North America’s all-time earnings leader with $13,252,650, towers over six rivals in Saturday’s Grade I, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at 1 1\/8 miles at The Great Race Place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5303,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[97,52,2044],"tags":[1335,1736],"class_list":["post-5301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-events-magazine","category-events-magazine","category-magazine","tag-breeders-cup-classic","tag-california-chrome"],"yoast_head":"\n