USA, Sunday, Del Mar: San Diego Handicap (Grade 2) 1m½f, dirt, 3yo+: California Chrome edges out Dortmund in thriller

 

America: California Chrome rientro con vittoria nel San Diego Handicap, ma che duello con Dortmund!

 
Benoit Photo
 
Vincere ha vinto, ma California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) se l’è dovuta sudare più del necessario per vincere il San Diego Handicap G2 da $200,000 risolvendo in battaglia conDortmund (Big Brown). L’imponente baio, al rientro da Novembre 2015, ha messo in campo una tattica d’avanguardia senza mai risparmiarsi, buttando giù parziali di :23.47, :47.02 con passaggio ai 1200 metri in 1:10.51 sotto la spinta di Gary Stevens che non ha fatto prigionieri, ma ha lasciato che California Chrome lo pungolasse sempre. Dall’altra parte Victor Espinoza era convinto di poter “spaccare” in 2 Dortmund già al rientro dopo 4 mesi di sosta dalla Dubai World Cup G1, e di fatto ci è riuscito, ma comunque faticando e mettendo nelle gambe di California Chrome un impegno tutto sommato severo. Il miglio i 2 in lotta lo hanno passato in 1:34.49 ed alla fine il sauro di Art Sherman ha messo tra se ed il rivale mezza lunghezza con tempo finale di 1m 40,84s. Victor Espinoza ha ammesso di aver avuto una corsa dura, e che Dortmund ha dato un impegno severo al suo che, tra l’altro, aveva 5 libbre in più dell’avversario. IL VIDEO DEL SAN DIEGO HANDICAP QUI.
 
Qualcuno (tutti) può aver pensato che California ha premuto troppo per stare dietro al rivale e così ne è uscita una battaglia nella quale si sono spese molte energie. In realtà Art Sherman ha dichiarato che sapeva che Dortmund avrebbe agito così, ma ha preferito non farlo scappare troppo ma tenerlo comunque sulla corda mettendogli pressione. Ne è uscito un challenge abbastanza entusiasmante, ed ora i 2 (che avevano comunque bisogno della corsa ed hanno fatto quasi il record!) si ritroveranno nel Pacific Classic G1 del 20 Agosto a Del Mar, dove potrebbero incontrare la campionessaBeholder (Henny Hughes), vincitrice del Pacific lo scorso anno con 8 lunghezze e mezzo di margine. Tornando a California, per lui è la 8° vittoria a livello di Gruppo, con oltre $12 milioni nel portafoglio.
 
Intanto questa notte a Saratoga si corrono le Coaching Club American Oaks G1 dove tornerà all’opera in G1 la campionessa americana Songbird(Medaglia D’Oro) dopo l’infortunio pre-Oaks e lo scintillante rientro a Santa Anita nelle Summertime Oaks G2. Songbird, imbattuta in 8 uscite, cerca la nona contro 4 avversarie non degne di lei tranne una: Carina Mia. IL CAMPO PARTENTI QUI.
 
 
 
California Chrome wins the Dubai World Cup

California Chrome: made a successful return to action

PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

California Chrome edges out Dortmund in thriller

 BY DAVID BAXTER8,  24 JUL 2016 

Report: USA, Sunday, Del Mar: San Diego Handicap (Grade 2) 1m½f, dirt, 3yo+

CALIFORNIA CHROME (Art Sherman/Victor Espinoza) just managed to repel Dortmund in a titanic duel to the line.

The reigning Dubai World Cup winner, California Chrome was having his first start since landing the world’s richest race in March, and it was to be no walkover as Dortmund pushed the five-year-old all the way.

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Gary Stevens set the fractions on Dortmund, but the pair appeared to be sitting ducks for Espinoza and California Chrome who tracked the leader then moved up to take over at the top of the stretch.

However, Dortmund refused to buckle on the inside, rallying and getting back to eyeball the 2014 Horse of the Year before California Chrome found a little bit more in the final yards.

Credit to the winner

Not only was California Chrome having his first start for four months, he had to concede weight all round over a trip short of his optimum.

Espinoza said: “I saved something for the end. I knew I’d have to. I have a lot of respect for Dortmund and he made me run hard. When we came down the stretch, I was concerned. This horse was carrying a lot of weight. That was the challenge, but he was a runner all the way today.”

Stevens was delighted with the performance of Dortmund, and added: “He was a little funky with me in the gate and didn’t get away best, but he got rolling and we were doing good. We had the slow fractions I was hoping for and he was going along fine.

“Then, from the three-eighths to the five-sixteenths, it was on. I thought maybe we were going to run out of gas, but he kept digging. He ran that last quarter-mile on heart.”

The pair are likely to clash again back at the track next month in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic, a race which could be a blockbuster with Beholder expected to defend her crown.

Also on Saturday

Saratoga: Diana Stakes (Grade 1), 1m1f, turf, 3yo+ f/m

Chilean import Dacita (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz) recorded a first American Grade 1 success when coming with a late run to deny Recepta by a nose.

Miss Temple City, who was fourth at Royal Ascot in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes for Graham Motion, was sent off favourite but could only manage fourth.

 
Tags: Dortmund   |  California Chrome   |  Victor Espinoza   |  Gary Stevens 

fonte : RacingPost

 

 

‘Chrome’ Edges Dortmund in Del Mar Battle

 

'Chrome' Edges Dortmund in Del Mar Battle
Photo: Benoit Photo

California Chrome fights off Dortmund to win the San Diego.

The Del Mar crowd roared as California Chrome   put a head in front of Dortmund in the final turn of the $200,000 San Diego Handicap (gr. II) July 23, but little did they know the battle they were in store for in the stretch. Watch Video

With Dortmund close to a half-length behind the 2014 Horse of the Year late in the turn, the hulking son of Big Brown  somehow found more on the inside and the pair dueled to the wire. Back to head-and-head late, California Chrome eventually outlasted his fellow chestnut to win by a half-length.

“I tell you, Dortmund made him work for it,” trainer Art Sherman said.

Dortmund broke poorly under jockey Gary Stevens but rushed up on the inside to set fractions of :23.47, :47.02, and 1:10.51 through six furlongs, while California Chrome and Victor Espinoza stalked in second.

“He was a little funky with me in the gate and didn’t get away best, but he got rolling and we were doing good,” Stevens said. “We had the slow fractions I was hoping for and he was going along fine.

“Then, from the three-eighths to the five-sixteenths, it was on. I thought maybe we were going to run out of gas, but he kept digging. He ran that last quarter-mile on heart.”

The pair hit a mile at 1:34.49 and California Chrome edged his rival at the wire to win in 1:40.84 for 1 1/16 miles. Win the Space finished 7 1/4 lengths behind in third.

“I saved something for the end. I knew I’d have to,” Espinoza said. “I have a lot of respect for Dortmund and he made me run hard. … When we came down the stretch, I was concerned. This horse was carrying a lot of weight (five pounds more than Dortmund). That was the challenge, but he was a runner all the way today.”

Sherman, noticing a tendency toward speed in the prior races on the main track, made sure to tell Espinoza not to let Dortmund get too far away. Dortmund had a 1 1/2-length lead after the opening quarter and California Chrome tracked about a length off the frontrunner in the backstretch before moving up to challenge entering the final turn.

“You can’t let a horse like Dortmund get away,” Sherman said. “So, press him as much as you can. (Dortmund) is a really game horse. I think both horses needed a race and you’ll see two stronger horses coming back in the Pacific Classic (gr. I).”

That potential matchup for the Del Mar summer feature, along with the presence of defending champion Beholder, could set up to be one of the most significant races in the seaside racetrack’s history.

It was California Chrome’s eighth graded or group victory. The winner paid $3.60, $2.20, and $2.10 across the board as the 4-5 favorite. Dortmund delivered $2.40 and $2.10 as the 6-5 second choice, and Win the Space brought $2.20 to show.