sixth straight season despite allowing Logan Forsythes so

As a full moon began to set over the Del Mar stables Thursday morning, a superhero in a horse suit was trying to ignore the golden Labrador nosing around his stall.Jasper, knock that off or Chromell nail you, chided Alan Sherman, Jaspers owner.It wasnt exactly a scene from Town & Country, but it was business as usual in the Art and Alan Sherman shed row, where the sober routine of preparing the richest Thoroughbred in the history of North American racing for a return to competition is tempered by the grateful joy of being so close to such a remarkable creature for so long.Hes been good here, said Art Sherman, Alans dad, as he headed for the track to train another horse in the barn. Eating good, acting good. Handles the track fine. What could go wrong?At this, Sherman let fly one of his cackling laughs, knowing full well that things go wrong in racing all the time, and only a diligent attention to detail can at least reduce the chances. For all his accomplishments, California Chrome is still an equine athlete whose value, at least for now, is based upon running faster than the horses arrayed against him.To that end, his return Saturday in the $200,000 San Diego Handicap will provide a solid test of his status four months removed from his glorious victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. The fact that California Chrome did it with his saddle slipping steadily back to his haunches as the race progressed was only one of the many remarkable stories from that memorable desert night.Ill tell you one thing, Sherman said, were not using that new English chamois we used over there again. I thought it wouldnt make any difference, and, boy, was I wrong.Its the little things that count, but it is a very big thing California Chrome will be facing Saturday when his main opposition in the San Diego comes from Dortmund, the towering winner of the 2015 Santa Anita Derby who is making his first start since winning the Native Diver Handicap at Del Mar eight months ago.I figure hell go to the lead like he does, Sherman said of Dortmund. After that, Im hoping he needs the race.The San Diego Handicap has been around forever, which in the case of Del Mar means since 1937, and for all but eight of its 73 runnings, it has been a 1-1/16-mile main-track event.Native Diver himself won the San Diego three straight years, 1963-65, and ended up in the Hall of Fame. Bates Motel won the San Diego on his way to an Eclipse Award. Skywalker took the race in 1986, then later added the Breeders Cup Classic.More recently, the San Diego has been won by Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed, Breeders Cup Dirt Mile winner Dakota Phone, Godolphin Mile winner Grey Memo, and Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.So much for history. What counts on Saturday is that California Chrome brings the same vibrant energy to the San Diego that he displayed in his Dubai campaign earlier this year. If the last few mornings at Del Mar are any indication, he should be a handful.Let him go, cried exercise rider Dihigi Gladney to the pony boy as California Chrome went up on his back legs and bounded out of a saddling stall in the Del Mar paddock.The muscles around Shermans heart tightened slightly as he watched Gladney slip free of Chromes gray pony and trot around the ring. The red stallion calmed to a walk and immediately dropped one of his trademark erections, which was enough to let his people know all was well.He doesnt do that back home at Los Alamitos, Sherman said. But here hes got new sights and sounds, a different kind of atmosphere. Gets him a little stirred up.Once on the track for his gallop, California Chrome was all class. He put in a smooth mile and a half and then walked easily to the training gate at the back of the seven-furlong chute.Thats just the way he is, Sherman said. I am a little concerned, though, what he might do running against that mare.That mare, of course, is Beholder, who looms on California Chromes horizon for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 20. Her trainer, Richard Mandella, was in the paddock with his own horses Thursday morning when California Chrome put on his show. The idea of a robust female horse distracting a virile stallion from the focus it takes to win a million-dollar race is one of those jokes that has plenty of basis in experience.I was thinking about sending Beholder to the gate with him this morning, Mandella deadpanned. But theres not enough money on the line.Once the San Diego in the books and Beholder has dealt with the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes on July 30, the excitement for their Pacific Classic showdown will begin to boil.The respective camps are already getting into the spirit. Owner B. Wayne Hughes, who normally keeps his cards close, let loose with a mischievous Chrome who? line when asked about the pending showdown with Beholder, the apple of his eye. Perry Martin, California Chromes majority owner, countered with a respectful nod to the three-time champion mare but then warned with a wink, When Chrome goes by her, shell go from Beholder to bewildered.Is this going to be a fun summer or what? 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The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. ST.PETERBURG, Fla. -- The Boston Red Sox are showing Tampa Bay how far the Rays have to climb after a last-place season.Dustin Pedroia hit his fourth career grand slam to help Rick Porcello get his major league-leading 22nd win, and the Red Sox clinched a playoff berth by beating the Rays 6-4 Saturday night for their 10th consecutive win.Theyre definitely the team to beat right now, in my eyes, Danny Farquhar said after allowing Pedroias home run.Boston maintained a 5 1/2-game lead over Toronto for the division title and ensured no worse than the ALs second wild card. The Rays dropped 24 games under .500 for the first since the end of the 2007 season.Tampa Bay went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.To play with these guys, youve got to capitalize on those opportunities because you know theyre going to score their runs, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Tampa Bay threatened in the second but failed to score due to two nice defensive plays. Pedroia made a throw from just in front of the outfield grass at second base on Mikie Mahtooks grounder to get Corey Dickerson at the plate. Third baseman Brock Holt made a solid play along the line on Alexei Ramirezs grounder and threw him out at first to end the inning.Pedroia stopped an 0-for-17 skid with a single in the sixth and gave Boston a 6-3 lead with a seventh-inning drive. He hit several foul balls, including one off his toe before going deep.You can see why hes as good as he is because he fougght off some good pitches and got his pitch and crushed it, Farquhar said of a changeup.ddddddddddddPorcello (22-4) gave up three runs, eight hits and struck out nine over 6 1/3 innings.Craig Kimbrel, the fifth Boston reliever, reached 30 saves for the sixth straight season despite allowing Logan Forsythes solo homer in the ninth. Ryan Garton (1-2) was the loser.Brad Miller hit a two-run double in a three-run second that put Tampa Bay up 3-1 and gave him 80 RBI.TRAINERS ROOMRAYS: DH Nick Franklin (left hamstring) was in the lineup for the first time since Sept. 15. He did pinch hit twice in-between.HONORING BIG PAPIThe Rays will honor Red Sox DH David Ortiz in a pregame ceremony Sunday before his final game at Tropicana Field. He will be just the fourth visiting player to be honored, joining Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Cal Ripken Jr.BASERUNNING GAFFEWith the Rays trailing 6-3 in the eighth, Dickerson hit a leadoff double but later was thrown trying to advance a base when a pitch got away from Boston catcher Sandy Leon. Just being over-aggressive, Cash said. He knows the situation, he knows were down by three. Like weve said quite a few times this year, were not good enough to overcome those mistakes.UP NEXTRed Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7) will go against Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi (9-6) in Sundays series finale. ' ' '