Trainer Art Sherman has nominated California Chrome to the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar on Saturday, November 29 for what figures to be the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner’s final race of 2014.

 

The Hollywood Derby is a $300,000 Grade I event for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. It is one of two Grade I stakes on the closing weekend of the 15-day Bing Crosby Season currently in progress. The other is the Matriarch on the closing day of the meeting, November 30.

 

The Hollywood Derby will be the first race on grass for California Chrome. The California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit has eight wins in 15 career starts and earnings of more than $4 million. California Chrome raced twice at Del Mar as a 2-year-old in the summer of 2013, winning the Graduation Stakes and finishing sixth in the Del Mar Futurity.

 

“(California Chrome) came out of the race (Breeders’ Cup Classic in which he finished third) great. I was up there (Los Alamitos) on Monday and trained him and he looks super,” Sherman said Wednesday morning.

 

“I’ve wanted to try him on turf, this is an opportune time. And Horse of the Year is on the line. If he wins it, maybe he could be Horse of the Year. It could help. I don’t know.”