Brisnet 9y

California Chrome tries turf

Horse Racing

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome was entered Wednesday morning for Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar and will face five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile turf affair.

The California-bred colt would become the seventh horse to race at Del Mar after winning the Kentucky Derby, joining Gato Del Sol (1982 Kentucky Derby winner), Ferdinand (1986), Unbridled (1990), Silver Charm (1997), War Emblem (2002) and Giacomo (2005).

A son of Lucky Pulpit, California Chrome is scheduled to make his turf debut for trainer Art Sherman, who also nominated his charge to Saturday's Native Diver H. on Polytrack. California rules stipulate that only one race could be entered, and when the time came Wednesday morning, Sherman did not waiver from a previously stated preference for the Hollywood Derby.

"I want to run him on the grass," Sherman said. "It will give me a lot of options when he runs next year as a four-year-old. And he's got a chance at Horse of the Year (for 2014)."

California Chrome worked a half-mile in :52 on the turf course Sunday. An open gallop through the stretch on the grass is planned for Thursday morning.

The Hollywood Derby field, in alphabetical order, is: Cabral (Kent Desormeaux), California Chrome (Victor Espinoza), Flamboyant (Mike Smith), Lexie Lou (Corey Nakatani), Sawyer's Hill (Rafael Bejarano) and Talco (Drayden Van Dyke).

Post positions for the race were to be drawn at the close of entries later Wednesday.

The Hollywood Derby is one of three stakes on the penultimate day of Del Mar's Bing Crosby Season along with the Native Diver and Jimmy Durante, both Grade 3 events.

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