California Chrome finishes sixth in Pennsylvania Derby

Bayern won the $1-million Pennsylvania Derby by 5 3/4 lengths Saturday, with Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome finishing sixth in his first race since the Belmont Stakes on June 7.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Bayern ran 1 1/8 miles in a track-record time of 1:46.96 and paid $9, $3.60 and $4. The 3-year-old colt is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

West Virginia Derby winner Tapiture returned $5.80 and $4 under Rosie Napravnik, while West Virginia Derby runner-up Candy Boy was another head back in third and paid $4.20 to show in front of 16,000 fans at Parx Racing.

California Chrome was making his first start since finishing fourth in the Belmont Stakes, ending his bid to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 36 years. Victor Espinoza rode the 5-2 favorite, who drew the unfavorable No. 1 post position and got trapped down by the rail.

“They were like blocking in front of me, and it was hard to catch the other horse,” Espinoza said. “Sometimes the other ones don’t ride to win, they ride to beat horses.”

California Chrome broke sharply and was taken back to race in third in tight quarters going into the first turn. After riding the rail and stalking the pace, Espinoza asked his colt to rally in the stretch, but California Chrome failed to respond and was eased in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“I wish [Espinoza] could have gotten him out; the pace was not that fast,” California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman said. “You hate making excuses, but I thought he could have gone after that horse a little bit earlier and got out from behind, but the other horse kept him down on the rail, which I really didn’t want.”

Sherman said California Chrome would return to his Southern California base and continue training for a possible start in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

Bayern’s victory was reminiscent of his overpowering effort in the Haskell Invitational in July at Monmouth Park, and Baffert, who watched the race at home in California, was elated.

“That was just a powerful performance,” he said. “He broke well and they let us go and Martin hustled to get away from California Chrome. When California Chrome was pinned in there I knew it was going be tough for California Chrome. He was the target; we weren’t the target. When Bayern runs like that, nobody’s going to beat him.”

The victory, worth $562,000, increased Bayern’s career earnings to $1,639,680 in nine starts.