San Diego Handicap 2016: California Chrome v. Dortmund

The Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar is shaping up to be a showdown between California Chrome and Dortmund. The two chestnuts have both had their time in the spotlight and time to relax and recover, and now they are about to meet each other on the track for the first time this Saturday.

In 2014, everyone fell in love with the Chrome’s Cinderella story. The Lucky Pulpit colt captured the California Cup Derby, the San Felipe, and the Santa Anita Derby that year before taking the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. To finish out the year, Chrome won the Hollywood Derby, proving he could run on turf, as well as dirt. He also received the honors of Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Colt and Horse of the Year. Even after suffering three losses in between the Preakness and the Hollywood Derby, Chrome still held the hearts of America.

November 29, the same day Chrome added the Hollywood Derby to his resume, another chestnut colt, this one a solid, fiery red, made his record two-for-two at Churchill Downs. Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund won his first race at Santa Anita Park in early November and shipped to Churchill Downs to take an Allowance/Optional Claiming race. Chrome had wrapped up his season, but Dortmund had one more start and ended his two-year-old season with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity.

Chrome and Dortmund both started their 2015 season on February 7 at Santa Anita, but the two chestnuts were still separated by age. Chrome was now in the older horse division and ran second to champion Shared Belief in the San Antonio, while three-year-old Dortmund added the Robert B. Lewis to his undefeated record.

Chrome’s next start resulted in another second, this time to Prince Bishop in the Dubai World Cup. Instead of coming back to the states, Chrome was shipped to Newmarket to train for the Prince of Wales’s. As fate would have it, Chrome never raced in England. Two days before the Prince of Wales’s, it was discovered he had a foot bruise. It was nothing too serious, but enough to keep him out of the race. Cries of “bring Chrome home” began to ring out from his fans, and minority owner Steve Coburn and trainer Art Sherman had begun to express their unhappiness with majority owner Perry Martin for keeping Chrome overseas.

Chrome did come home, but it was to a new track and a new owner. He shipped into Arlington Park for a start in the Arlington Million; however, it was not in the cards for Chrome to race again in 2015. He had a bruised cannon bone and would be out the rest of the year. Coburn sold his share in the horse to Taylor Made Farm, and Taylor Made brought their new stallion prospect to Kentucky for turnout and a long overdue rest.

When Chrome set out to travel the world, Bob Baffert was gearing Dortmund up for the Kentucky Derby. The Big Brown colt wired both the San Felipe and the Santa Anita Derby, and entered the Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites. He was unable to wire that race and suffered his first defeat, finishing third behind American Pharoah and Firing Line. Dortmund then encountered his first sloppy track in the Preakness and finished fourth.

While Chrome was starting to wind down at Taylor Made, Dortmund had his first minor setback in training. The large colt became cast in his stall and bruised his ribs. Baffert said it would set the colt back a couple weeks. He won his first race back in October, the Big Bear Stakes, and was set to ship to Churchill Downs for the Clark Handicap against older horses. Unfortunately, Dortmund developed a quarter crack and Baffert didn’t want to ship the colt until the crack was patched. It may not have been a Grade 1 victory in the Clark, but Dortmund was able to wrap up the year with a win in the Native Diver.

To begin the 2016 season, Chrome and Dortmund were supposed to meet in the San Pasqual, but only one horse seemed ready for it. Dortmund developed another quarter crack after the Native Diver, which caused another minor setback in training. Baffert said the colt was tired at the end of his work before the San Pasqual and decided to skip the race. The matchup between California’s chestnut stars would have to wait.

Chrome ended up winning the San Pasqual, but another shot at the World Cup loomed ahead. He went back to Dubai and won a prep race at Meydan Racecourse before overcoming a slipped saddle to win the World Cup. Now North America's richest all-time runner, he then received rest at Taylor Made before going back to Sherman in California.

The two chestnuts are finally set to meet this Saturday in the San Diego Handicap and there is much anticipation surrounding them. Chrome, who came back better than ever this year, will be making his first start since the World Cup and Dortmund will be making his four-year-old debut. Both are multiple Grade 1 winners, both have had their ups and downs, and both are two of California's best. The exciting showdown between them won’t be one to miss.

By Christine Oser