California Chrome returns in San Pasqual; nine entered in Sham

California Chrome returns in San Pasqual; nine entered in

Sham

Dual classic winner and 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome heads a field

of seven for Saturday's $200,000 San Pasqual (G2) at Santa Anita. The 1

1/16-mile event marks the chestnut's first outing since the Dubai World Cup (G1)

last March. Second in that $10 million event, California Chrome is again being

pointed to the World Cup this year on March 26.

After the San Pasqual, California Chrome is expected to turn in his final

World Cup prep at Meydan in Dubai.

Also at Santa Anita on Saturday, a field of nine three-year-olds will run one

mile in the $100,000 Sham (G3), a race worth 10 qualifying points to the winner

as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.

Gulfstream Park will get in on the graded action Saturday by hosting three

stakes, two on turf (Ft. Lauderdale [G2] and Marshua's River [G3]) and one

on dirt (Hal's Hope [G3]).

For the complete field story on these races, visit the TwinSpires blog via

the above link.

Also at the blog on Wednesday:

Finalists for the 2015 Eclipse Awards have been announced, with American

Pharoah a near certainty to be named Horse of the Year over Beholder and

Runhappy.

Kellie Reilly has published her final installment of the

Reilly Turf Awards, which covers events on the international turf scene from

2015.

Keeneland has released the stakes schedule for its 2016 Spring Meet, and

several graded events have received a boost in purse.

Jonathon Kinchen of Austin, Texas, has been named the NHC Tour champion after

winning four NHC qualifying contest worth 19,026 overall points.