by Jeremy Balan @BH_JBalan

California Chrome  ’s winning margin in the $300,000 Awesome Again (gr. I) was 2 1/4 lengths over Dortmund, but anyone who watched knows better.

Under pressure on the outside by Dortmund through most of the 1 1/8-mile test, California Chrome clicked off very fast fractions, inched away from his rival in the backstretch with a little asking from jockey Victor Espinoza, opened up a clear lead in the turn, and galloped geared down to the wire in the final strides.

With a professional break from the rail, the 5-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit   trained by Art Sherman set fractions of :22.76, :46.08, and 1:09.28 through six furlongs. He covered a mile in 1:34.45 and finished off the race in 1:48.07 to clinch his sixth victory of the year.

"When he gets in front, he's a hard horse to get by, and I knew he'd wear Dortmund down with the fractions the way they were," Sherman said. "He took Dortmund's game plan away from him. He tried and ran a hell of a race, but you're looking at maybe the best horse in the world right now."

Essentially a match race from the start, the top pair opened up 10 1/2 lengths on the field after four furlongs of running and 12 lengths through six. The only horse who made up any significant ground wasWin the Space, who came in 4 1/2 lengths behind Dortmund.

"He's on his game right now," Espinoza said. "(Dortmund) wasn't a threat today. Maybe the first quarter-mile, but after that, I just kept pulling away, which only helped me get some breathing room between us and the rest of the field."

"Second-best—no excuses," said Dortmund's jockey, Rafael Bejarano. "The winner had a lot of pressure on him and that was the only chance I had."

Off as the 2-5 favorite, California Chrome paid $2.80, $2.10, and $2.10 across the board. Dortmund paid $2.20 and $2.10, and Win the Space delivered $2.80 to show. Hard Aces came in fourth and Soi Phet followed to complete the order of finish.Hoppertunity and El Huerfano were scratched.

Still undefeated in 2016, California Chrome is now eligible for a $1 million bonus if he wins the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita. The bonus was offered to any horse who could sweep the Pacific Classic (gr. I), Awesome Again, and Breeders' Cup Classic.