Less than 24 hours after making his first start outside of the U.S., California Chrome's connections have indicated his return stateside will be delayed.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the dual-classic winner will race at Royal Ascot next and will ship to England directly from Dubai, where he finished second in the $10 million Dubai World Cup March 28 at Meydan.
"I've talked to [trainer] Art [Sherman] and I've decided we are going to Royal Ascot directly from here," co-owner Perry Martin said in an e-mail to the Bee. "We will train at Newmarket, where [European champion] Frankel trained. Then, we'll do our best at Royal Ascot."
California Chrome will likely target the June 17 Prince of Wales's Stakes over 10 furlongs. The race annually attracts the top middle-distance horses in Europe. In last year's edition, The Fugue defeated Breeders' Cup Turf winner Magician and European Horse of the Year Treve.
Turf isn't entirely foreign to the 4-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit. In the final race of his 3-year-old campaign, California Chrome won the 1-1/8-mile Hollywood Derby Nov. 29 at Del Mar in his first and only grass race.