California Chrome breezes to win over Dortmund at Santa Anita

California Chrome proved once again Saturday what everyone else has known for most of the year. He’s not only the most popular but also the best race horse in the world.

His dominating win in the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita was remarkable only in the ease with which he won it. Leaving the first turn, Chrome and runner-up Dortmund had 10 lengths on the small field of five. By the half-mile mark, Chrome eased ahead of his rival and the race was effectively over.

The most deceiving stat of the day was his winning margin of 2 1/4 lengths. Jockey Victor Espinoza essentially stopped riding Chrome hard at the 16th pole and cantered him in the last 70 yards.

“He just coasted home and (Espinoza) wanted to save him for the Breeders’ Cup,” co-owner Perry Martin said. “It’s just a real nice prep for us. I think it will sharpen him up even more. The best is yet to come.”

Almost as amazing as this equine rock star is his ever growing entourage. Inside the paddock, people were two or three deep to try to get a picture of him walking the ring. That’s only the people allowed into the paddock, not fans, who were lined up on the outside six deep.

A conservative estimate of 50 were in the Chrome traveling party in the paddock and the group grew to about 70 in the winner’s circle after the race. Highly unusual, some of his entourage, including Martin, watched the race from the winner’s circle. Talk about tempting fate.

As Chrome turned for home, assistant trainer Alan Sherman was lightly restrained by police for his own safety as he was getting too far on the dirt course, arms raised in anticipated victory.

Afterward, Martin, proudly wearing a red, white and blue “Vote Chrome for President” button, launched into a network-worthy stump speech for his horse.

California Chrome co-owner Perry Martin sports a button in support of his horse.

(John Cherwa / Los Angeles Times )

“The big contest [Breeders’ Cup Classic] is in November and it’s not the one that everyone is talking about,” Martin said, formulating the follow-up lines in his head. “We’ll prove it in November. … And we’re real serious about running him for president.

“I think the two major candidates between them don’t have one good leg to stand on and, as we’ve proved today, we’ve got four. I think this will be a much improved country if we can have Chromyism rather than cronyism. Our slogan, as he proved here today, let’s make America Awesome Again.”

Martin went on to say that Espinoza was the likely VP choice.

Things just seem funnier when you win.

“He’s on his game right now,” Espinoza said after California Chrome’s sixth win of the year. “[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.”

Art Sherman, Chrome’s affable 79-year-old trainer, found the toughest part of his day not the 1 1/8-mile race but an encounter with a TV camera.

“I got hit in the face by a camera today,” Sherman said with a big smile. “The guy was thisclose and someone pushed him and he went right into my nose. I know you guys believe in closeups, but you’re getting a little carried away.

“I just got over cataract surgery and I thought if it gets any closer maybe I’ll have to have another surgery.”

Again, everything is funnier when you’re winning.

Chrome paid a predictable $2.80 to win, and $2.10 to place and show. Dortmund returned 2.20 and 2.10 and Win the Space was worth 2.80 to show.

The Chrome race was the obvious centerpiece to an outstanding day of racing at Santa Anita featuring some of the best horses in the country.

In the FrontRunner, for 2-year-old colts, Gormley went wire-to-wire for trainer John Shirreffs and placed the horse in the early conversation for next year’s Kentucky Derby. He upset Klimt, 2-5 favorite, by three lengths.

The race started strangely when Secret House left the gate without rider Santiago Gonzalez. The rider blamed the starter, the starter blamed the jockey. All money on the horse was refunded. Gonzalez will meet with stewards this week.

The Zenyatta Stakes, for fillies and mares, was the expected match race between Beholder and Stellar Wind. Beholder led into the stretch but gave up the lead and finished a game second to the John Sadler horse by a neck. It was Stellar Wind’s second consecutive win over Beholder and Espinoza’s third stakes win of the day.

Avenge was the winner of the Rodeo Drive Stakes, a turf race for fillies and mares. The 4-year-old, under a smart ride by Flavien Prat, ran the Richard Mandella filly wire to wire.

And, the Chandelier Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies, was won by the Bob Baffert-trained Noted And Quoted. Rafael Bejarano was the jockey.

California Chrome will head back across town to Los Alamitos, his usual home, to train up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5. He’ll settle in to the special double-wide stall built especially for him and he’ll munch on his favorite brand of cookies from whoever will give him one.

“I know the Breeders’ Cup will be a lot tougher, but, hey, bring ‘em on baby,” Sherman said with flair. “I’m ready. I don’t care who they got. Bring anybody.”

Right now that list of viable contenders is getting smaller.

john.cherwa@latimes.com