ARCADIA, Calif. -- Before the year started, those associated with California Chrome mapped out an itinerary for 2016, and thus far, theyve hit every planned stop with nary a misstep. Victory in the San Pasqual. A pair of wins in Dubai, including the World Cup. Two wins at Del Mar, including the Pacific Classic. And, most recently, a victory in the Awesome Again.The $6 million Breeders Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita was the year-end goal, and California Chrome comes into it in the best form of his career. He was dominant in both the Pacific Classic and Awesome Again, Grade 1 races that have set him up for a big payday. There is a $1 million bonus for winning those two races plus the Breeders Cup Classic, on top of the more than $3 million in first-prize money from the Classic itself.His last two races have been big, trainer Art Sherman said. Let me have one more like that in the Breeders Cup. This is a biggie coming up. If he wins, it takes him to a different plateau.Standing in the way of the perfect plan are nine rivals, most notably Arrogate, the late-developing 3-year-old who turned in a freakish performance in the Travers and has trained into this race like that was not a fluke.The Travers was pretty mind-blowing, trainer Bob Baffert said. We never knew he had that kind of speed until we asked him to do that. Hes going to have to run that race again to be competitive with a horse like California Chrome.The Classic is the last and richest of the 13 Breeders Cup races that will be run Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita and is the final race on a 12-race card Saturday. Eight of the 10 runners have won a Grade 1 race, five of them in their most recent start.Its a tough, tough race, said Kiaran McLaughlin, who sends out Met Mile winner Frosted.California Chrome will be favored, with Arrogate a strong second choice.Hes never run against a horse like Chrome, Sherman said of Arrogate. Hes going to have to outrun me to make me a believer.You can always get outrun. But if Chrome does, the horse who does it is gonna know he was in a horse race.Baffert knows hes taking on a formidable opponent but believes Arrogate is the real deal.Regarding California Chrome, Baffert said: This is the best Ive ever seen him. Hes in peak form. I give a lot of credit to the Sherman camp. Hes the horse to beat. I dont know if we can beat him, but I think we have a horse who can be competitive with him.The Travers announced Arrogate to the world, but the Baffert barn had been high on him before he ever ran. His race in the Travers -- a track record at Saratoga with a Beyer Speed Figure of 122 -- was monstrous.I think he can do it again, Baffert said of earning another big figure. Its going to take a huge performance to beat Chrome.Arrogate has not raced since the Travers, a schedule Baffert successfully used last year with American Pharoah.The only way you can do it is if you have a really good horse like Pharoah, Baffert said. We dont know how good Arrogate is. The only time we set him down was in the Travers. I havent seen anything to tell me he cant do it again.Baffert is seeking his third straight win in the Classic, following Bayern and American Pharoah. In addition to Arrogate, he also sends out Hoppertunity, fresh from a win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.This is the best hes ever been, Baffert said.Trainer Jimmy Jerkens also sends out two runners: Effinex, last years runner-up in the Classic behind American Pharoah, and Shaman Ghost, who upset Frosted in the Woodward.Effinex drew the rail, exactly where Jerkens did not want him.Id rather have Effinex outside, Jerkens said. He doesnt like being in the gate too long.Frosted finished fifth behind California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup, but after returning to the United States, he turned in one of the most impressive races of the year in the Met Mile. He is 1-for-2 since then, with both races around two turns, and has looked good here this week.Were not sure which Frosted is going to show up, said his trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin. We hope its the one from the Met Mile. Hes doing fabulous.Melatonin has not run since June but is unbeaten in four starts at Santa Anita, including twice at 1-1/4 miles this year.Keen Ice is 0-for-6 since his upset of American Pharoah in last years Travers. This is his second start following a six-month layoff and a switch to trainer Todd Pletcher.Win the Space has finished in the money in major stakes behind California Chrome and Melatonin this year.War Story, beaten more than 22 lengths at 136-1 in the Pacific Classic, looks overmatched again. Royals Jerseys China . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Wholesale Royals Jerseys . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. https://www.cheaproyals.com/ . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. 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WASHINGTON -- Researchers will study some U.S. athletes for Zika during the summer Olympics and Paralympics in Brazil, to better understand how the virus infects.The National Institutes of Health announced the study Tuesday, amid concern among athletes over the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause severe birth defects.International health officials have said pregnant women should skip the games, but the virus also sometimes spreads through sex and may persist in semen longer than bllood.dddddddddddd Some athletes from several countries have dropped out, citing Zika worries.NIH-funded researchers aim to enroll at least 1,000 athletes, coaches and staff. Participants will provide samples of bodily fluids for routine testing to determine to help determine risk factors for infection, and where and how long the virus persists in the body. ' ' '