Pharoah the previous year: Keen Ice, Frosted, and Mubtaahij. He also was again required to run without Lasix. The horse stayed wide and had a clear trip the entire race, took the lead out and won by lengths. The race developed added drama when Espinoza's saddle began to slip backwards in the homestretch. After the race he said, "I just kept looking forward and thinking 'where's the wire? It was not coming fast enough." The purse money for the victory put him past Curlin as the all-time leading North American horse in earnings won. Upon his return to the United States, California Chrome was turned out for a month at Taylor Made Farm, then resumed training with Sherman. On July 23, the horse was entered in the San Diego Handicap where he faced Dortmund, who had finished third in the 2015 Kentucky Derby to American Pharoah. California Chrome tracked behind Dortmund until the far turn, then moved to the front. Dortmund fought back and the two dueled down the stretch, with California Chrome prevailing by half a length while carrying five pounds more than Dortmund. A month later, California Chrome challenged an all-star field in the Pacific Classic, which included a rematch with Dortmund as well as long-time rival Hoppertunity. Most notably, Chrome met the champion mare Beholder for the first time. Beholder, third favorite on the morning line, had won the previous year in her debut against male horses, the only female horse to have ever won that race. California Chrome got the number one post position in the nine-horse field, viewed as an unfavorable draw because, other than his prep race win at Meydan Racecourse, he previously did poorly on the rail. The post position turned out not to be a problem, as the horse broke cleanly and quickly went to the lead, led throughout the entire race, and only Beholder kept close to him until the mile pole, at which point he pulled ahead of the field and won by five lengths. Espinoza kept a relatively firm hold on the horse throughout the race, and Beholder's rider, Gary Stevens, commented, "Victor was playing with us. I don't think he really let him run. That's scary to think about." In similar form, he again was challenged by Dortmund in the Awesome Again Stakes on October 1. The two horses at one point outdistanced the rest of the field