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<ref name=BH4June>{{cite web|author1=Staff|title=California Chrome Draws Post 2 for Belmont|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85477/california-chrome-draws-post-2-for-belmont|publisher=Blood-Horse|accessdate=June 4, 2014|date=June 4, 2014}}</ref> |
Revision as of 06:05, 6 June 2014
California Chrome | |
---|---|
![]() California Chrome winning the 2014 Preakness Stakes | |
Sire | Lucky Pulpit |
Grandsire | Pulpit |
Dam | Love the Chase |
Damsire | Not For Love |
Sex | Colt |
Foaled | February 18, 2011 |
Country | United States |
Color | Chestnut |
Breeder | Perry Martin & Steve Coburn |
Owner | Perry Martin & Steve Coburn |
Racing colors | Purple, green, donkey on back, green cap.[1] |
Trainer | Art Sherman |
Record | 12:8-1-0[2] |
Earnings | US$ 3,452,650[2] |
Major wins | |
Graded stakes wins
Triple Crown classic race wins: | |
Last updated on May 19, 2014 |
California Chrome (foaled February 18, 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred in California. He has won the 2014 Kentucky Derby and the 2014 Preakness Stakes, extending a winning streak to six races that also included the Santa Anita Derby and the San Felipe Stakes. He is trained by the father-son team of Art Sherman and Alan Sherman and owned by Perry Martin from Yuba City, California, and Steve Coburn of Topaz Lake, Nevada, who named themselves DAP Racing, standing for "Dumb-Ass Partners," a tongue-in-cheek response to a passer-by who questioned their wisdom in purchasing the horse's dam, Love The Chase. The men's wives, Denise Martin and Carolyn Coburn, are also active participants in the racing partnership.
A grandson of Pulpit, with two lines to the California-bred 1955 Kentucky Derby winner Swaps on his dam's side of his pedigree, the chestnut-colored horse was named for his flashy white markings, called "chrome" in the world of horse aficionados. California Chrome was a large foal at birth and was Love The Chase's first foal. Nicknamed "Junior" in honor of his sire, Lucky Pulpit, California Chrome was sent to the Shermans' training stable as a two-year-old owing to their reputation for patiently developing young horses. The colt's first win was in his second race, but he had trouble winning consistently until he was paired with jockey Victor Espinoza at the King Glorious Stakes on December 22, 2013. He won that race and has been undefeated since. He developed a dedicated fan base, known as the "Chromies," and he began to be called "the people’s horse."
Arriving at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, California Chrome was the morning line favorite, but critics downplayed his chances of winning by questioning the quality of the colt's breeding, his trainer's strategy, and how he would handle a large field of 19 horses. In the race, he took the lead in the homestretch, and was ahead by five lengths until Espinoza eased him up for the final 70 yards (64 m). He won by 1+3⁄4 lengths. At his next race, the Preakness, he fended off two strong challengers in the homestretch, won by 1+1⁄2 lengths, and for his successes from humble roots, was dubbed "America's Horse." On May 20, 2014, he was shipped to Belmont Park in anticipation of running for the Triple Crown in the 2014 Belmont Stakes on June 7. He drew the number two post position in a field of 11 horses. If California Chrome wins, he will become the first California-bred horse to win the Triple Crown and the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, who won 36 years ago.
Background
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/California_Chrome_head.jpg/220px-California_Chrome_head.jpg)
California Chrome was foaled on February 18, 2011,[2] in Coalinga, California at Harris Farms, the horse breeding division of the Harris Ranch.[3] He is a chestnut with four white stockings[a] and a blaze.[4] His sire is a son of Pulpit named Lucky Pulpit,[5] who won three races, including a stakes race, and hit the board in 13 of his 22 starts. Lucky Pulpit placed in several graded stakes races, including a second place finish in the Santa Catalina Stakes.[6] However, a viral respiratory infection damaged his breathing and limited his racing career.[7]
California Chrome's dam is Love the Chase, and he was her first foal.[8] She was purchased for $30,000 as a two-year-old by an agent for a horse ownership group called the Blinkers On Racing Stable.[9] As a two- and three-year-old filly, she ran six times and won on her fourth try in a maiden claiming race at Golden Gate Fields. After her win, Steve Coburn and Perry Martin became her official owners.[10] They paid $8,000 for her, and after two more races, they retired her in 2009.[9][10] They hoped she would become a good broodmare.[8] When she retired, it was discovered that she had been racing with a breathing problem, an entrapped epiglottis that restricted her air intake.[11] It is a problem that can be corrected with surgery.[12] As of 2014, she has given birth to three foals. The other two, both fillies, are full sisters to California Chrome.[13] After California Chrome became a Kentucky Derby contender, Martin and Coburn turned down an offer of $2.1 million for Love the Chase.[9]
Because all four of his legs are white, California Chrome's hooves are white as well. Though his feet have generally been healthy, white hooves can be softer than dark-colored hooves and for that reason more prone to developing problems.[14] During his two-year-old year, he was beginning to develop low heels, and in late 2013, his farrier, Judd Fisher, found that a particular style of glued-on horseshoe with a rim pad that raised a horse's heels was suitable for fixing the problem.[15] Fisher also liked the shoe design because the hard rubber pad on the shoe was very durable.[16] Instead of gluing it on, he custom-drilled holes into the shoe so it would be nailed to the horse's feet in the manner of a traditional metal shoe.[15] Nailing on the shoes raised the soles of the horse's feet a bit farther off the ground, according to Fisher. The first time this shoe was used was prior to the King Glorious Stakes in December 2013. It is viewed as one of the possible factors contributing to California Chrome's subsequent series of wins.[17]
California Chrome has been noted for certain idiosyncrasies. He has a fondness for one specific brand of horse cookies and his owners claim he will not eat any other treat.[8][b] He is very curious about everything around him,[18] appears to enjoy posing for cameras,[19] and has a tendency to perform a flehmen response for no obvious reason, particularly when he is being bathed, prompting the press to claim that he is "smiling" for the camera.[20] Another unusual behavior is that he will not walk forward out of horse vans when the transport vehicle is designed for a forward exit; he will only back out.[21] Of more serious concern was California Chrome's history of being slow out of the starting gate in some races. In his early races, he grew impatient if he had to wait too long for the start. At times, he expressed his anxiety by rocking from side to side, thus preventing him from being oriented straight forward when the gate opens. On one occasion, he reared in the gate.[22]
Ownership
California Chrome is owned by Perry Martin of Yuba City, California and Steve Coburn of Topaz Lake, Nevada.[8] The two also own his dam, Love the Chase, and thus are his breeders.[2] Their wives, Denise Martin and Carolyn Coburn, are closely involved with the partnership,[8] though they do not appear as owners on official records kept by Equibase.[2] Perry Martin owns a 70% share in the horse and is the managing owner.[23] Originally, the two couples each owned a five percent share in Love the Chase through membership in Blinkers On Racing Stable.[8][10] Martin had been a member of the racing syndicate since 2007. Coburn joined the group when he bought a share in the filly in 2008.[9] When Blinkers On Racing Stable dissolved the Love the Chase syndicate, both the Coburns and the Martins wanted to buy the horse, so they formed a partnership.[3] A casual observer, knowing Love the Chase's modest race record, remarked that only a "dumb ass" would buy her, so Coburn and Martin named their racing operation DAP Racing, which stands for "Dumb Ass Partners".[24] They created a caricature of a buck-toothed donkey to adorn the back of their racing silks and picked purple and green, the favorite colors of Carolyn Coburn and Denise Martin, for their stable colors.[3] The initials "DAP" appear on California Chrome's blinker hood and the left front of the jockey's silks.[25]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Coburns_and_Sherman_at_Preakness.jpg/220px-Coburns_and_Sherman_at_Preakness.jpg)
Coburn, described by the media as the more "loquacious" of the two men,[26][27] says he and his wife are "just everyday people".[23][28] He grew up in central California and had worked as a modern-day cowboy herding cattle at a feedlot,[9] and at some ranching jobs. He had also been involved with horses at rodeos.[29] He now works as a press operator for a company that makes magnetic strips.[24] Carolyn Coburn retired in March 2014[30] from a career working in payroll in the health care industry.[28] Carolyn introduced Steve to horse racing, and when he was looking for a tax write-off, she encouraged him to buy into a racing syndicate instead of purchasing a small airplane.[13]
The Martins own and operate Martin Testing Laboratories (MTL), a division of Materials Technology Laboratories, Inc.[31] that is located within McClellan Business Park, at the former McClellan Air Force Base.[3] The company provides product assurance and reliability testing of new technologies and materials[30][31] including automobile airbags and medical equipment. Perry Martin described the items MTL tests as "the kind where somebody dies if something goes wrong."[32] Originally from Chicago, Perry Martin has an MBA,[9] a degree in applied physics from Michigan Technological University, and one in solid state physics from the University of Illinois-Chicago.[33] Denise Martin is MTL's senior chemist, managing the company's fatigue testing and thermal analytics.[28] Perry Martin was employed by the Air Force at the McClellan Air Force Base prior to its 2001 closure,[9] performing testing and analysis work, briefing both Congress and the Air Force Chief of Staff on his work with Air Force weapons systems.[34] He wrote the Electronic Failure Analysis Handbook, published by McGraw-Hill in 1999.[35]
Early years
Love the Chase was bred to Lucky Pulpit in 2010; she had failed to conceive in 2009 when bred to a stallion named Redattore who was unavailable the next year for rebreeding because he had been sent to Brazil.[36] Prior to the beginning of the 2014 breeding season, the stallion had a published stud fee of $2,500,[37] considered quite low in the world of Thoroughbred horse breeding.[38][c] Steve Coburn said he had a dream not long before California Chrome's birth that the foal would be a colt with four white feet and a blaze.[39] At birth, California Chrome was relatively large for a newborn horse, weighing 137 pounds (62 kg). Martin described the foal as "running circles around mama" within two hours of birth.[40] Love the Chase suffered a uterine laceration as a complication of giving birth to the large foal,[41] and was placed on an IV due to internal bleeding.[42] The mare and foal had to be kept stall-bound for over a month while her injury was treated.[41] During that time, she had to be on a catheter that administered anti-bleeding medication and the farm staff checked her two to three times a day.[43] She remained bonded to her foal and did not reject him, but in that time, the young foal also imprinted on humans,[41] who gave him extra attention and affection when they cared for his dam.[43] As a result, California Chrome became very people-focused, a trait that has served him well since entering race training.[41] He remained at Harris Farms from birth until his was shipped to Art Sherman's training barn for race training at age two.[28] Harris Farms had previously nurtured champion race horses, having bred, raised, and began the training of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow.[44]
The Martins and Coburns were very fond of California Chrome, visiting him regularly through his early years.[28] His nickname, given to him by the Martins when he was a foal, is "Junior",[11] because of his resemblance to Lucky Pulpit.[45] The two couples chose his official name at Brewsters Bar & Grill in Galt, California, a town halfway between their two homes. Each of the four wrote a potential name on pieces of paper and asked a waitress to draw them out of Coburn's cowboy hat. They then submitted the names to The Jockey Club ranked in the order drawn. California Chrome, Coburn's choice, was first drawn and the registry accepted the name.[46] The word "chrome" in his name comes from slang for a horse with flashy white markings.[4] The colt was started under saddle by Harris Farms' trainer Per Antonsen, who described him as a "smart horse" who was "really nice to work with".[47][48]
Sherman training stables
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Art_Sherman2.jpg/130px-Art_Sherman2.jpg)
Perry Martin considered California Chrome a Derby-quality horse even before he began race training and had mapped out a racing plan for him.[49] He asked Steve Sherman, who had trained horses for Martin at Golden Gate Fields, to recommend a trainer based in the highly competitive Southern California area. Steve suggested Martin contact his father, Art Sherman.[50] Art Sherman liked the enthusiasm of both owners and accepted the colt for training.[24] Martin and Coburn liked the elder Sherman because of his "old school" reputation for patience with young horses and his small barn of about 15 horses, which allowed the colt to be given individualized attention.[51] Sherman's belief is that horses run best if they are healthy, happy and treated well; he emphasizes that they be kept on a good feeding program.[52] Art Sherman's assistant is his son, Alan, age 45,[53] who is also a licensed trainer.[25] Alan was a jockey for three years in the 1980s until, as he put it, "I ate my way out of that job." In that short time, he rode in southern California for trainers such as Charlie Whittingham and won over a million dollars in purse money, while also closely observing how his employers trained their horses, anticipating that some day he too would become a trainer. Rather than run an independent training stable like his brother Steve, Alan chose to work with his father as an assistant, and has done so since 1991. He does most of the hands-on day-to-day work with California Chrome and stayed with him throughout his Triple Crown travels while Art returned to California to oversee the rest of his stable.[52]
California Chrome was the first Kentucky Derby prospect that Art Sherman had trained in his career, but he had one prior experience with a Derby horse. In 1955, at the age of 18,[24] Sherman worked for Rex Ellsworth[54] and was the exercise rider of Kentucky Derby winner Swaps at Churchill Downs.[24] Sherman became a professional jockey beginning in 1957[55] and became a race horse trainer in 1979.[56] Sherman typically downplays his role in training Calfornia Chrome, saying "This horse is my California rock star. I'm just his manager."[57]
Unlike most high-end California Thoroughbred trainers, who usually are headquartered at Santa Anita Park,[58] Sherman stables and trains his horses at Los Alamitos Race Course,[24] which is better-known as a track for Quarter Horse racing. Sherman had kept his horses at Hollywood Park Racetrack, but when it closed in December 2013, Los Alamitos picked up some of the racing trainers who had stabled there, including Sherman.[59] Los Alamitos also took over some of Hollywood Park's racing dates and will host all-Thoroughbred meets for the first time in 2014.[60] Because many trainers who ran horses at Hollywood Park are unfamiliar with the Los Alamitos facility, Los Alamitos' manager was happy with the success of California Chrome who was conditioned there, and the good publicity for the track that followed in its wake.[4]
Racing history
2013: Two-year-old season
California Chrome's first start as a two-year-old was at Hollywood Park Racetrack in April 2013, and he came in second by a length.[61] Three weeks later, he won his second race by 2+3⁄4 lengths.[62] In both races, he was ridden by Alberto Delgado. About four weeks later, California Chrome was entered in the Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes. He was one of four horses given 120 pounds (54 kg), the highest impost assigned in the race,[63] and because Delgado was out with a broken ankle, Corey Nakatani rode the horse.[64] The colt ran second for the first three furlongs, but weakened and finished fifth in a field of nine.[63] He was given a six-week break and then moved to Del Mar racetrack for his next two races.[65] Alberto Delgado returned as his jockey, and California Chrome scored his second career win in the Graduation Stakes, a race limited to California-bred horses,[66] by 2+3⁄4 lengths. As in the previous race, he was assigned 120 pounds (54 kg) over 5+1⁄2-furlongs but this time he wore blinkers and also ran on the medication Lasix for the first time in his career.[65] Next was his first graded stakes race, the Grade I Del Mar Futurity. He ran a longer, seven-furlong distance and was assigned 122 pounds (55 kg). Although he ran strongly, he got caught in traffic in a field of 11 horses and finished sixth.[67] After that, California Chrome was given almost two months before he raced again, in the Golden State Juvenile Stakes on November 1 at Santa Anita Park. This race was on the undercard for the Breeders' Cup,[68] and at one mile, was the longest race he had run. He was assigned the number 1 post position,[69] and thus had to wait for all the other horses to load. He became anxious at the wait, reared in the gate,[22] was last out, struggled throughout the race, and finished sixth.[69] Sherman viewed the colt's "rough trips" in perspective, stating that California Chrome was still growing and learning how to be a race horse.[66]
The fortunes of California Chrome soon changed for the better. In the fall, Alberto's younger brother, Willie Delgado, an experienced rider and trainer whose career was in the doldrums on the east coast, moved from Maryland to California and soon became the horse's morning exercise rider.[18] Ironically, Alberto was taken off as the horse's jockey.[70] In December, California Chrome was switched to a new type of horseshoe.[16] Then, the horse returned to Hollywood Park for his final race of 2013, the King Glorious Stakes on December 22. He had a lighter impost of 119 pounds (54 kg), a shorter distance of seven furlongs, and a new jockey, Victor Espinoza.[71] Espinoza, who won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem,[72] won the King Glorious Stakes with California Chrome by 6+1⁄4 lengths.[71] The horse was, incidentally, the final stakes winner at Hollywood Park Racetrack, which held its last races that day.[73] Sherman was impressed with the way Espinoza rode the colt, and Espinoza was impressed in turn, saying to the trainer, "Please put me on more of those."[66] Alan Sherman later said that it was after this race that he first began to think that California Chrome could be a Kentucky Derby contender.[74]
2014: Three-year-old season
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/California_Chrome_at_2014_San_Felipe-cropped.jpg/220px-California_Chrome_at_2014_San_Felipe-cropped.jpg)
California Chrome began 2014 with the California Cup Derby on January 25. Espinoza returned as his jockey. The horse was the second favorite to Tamarando and both horses were assigned 124 pounds (56 kg). California Chrome was slow coming out of the gate, but quickly moved up to third place, took the lead coming into the homestretch, and won by 5+1⁄2 lengths.[75] Sherman noted that it was the second race in a row where the horse pulled clear and won by a decisive margin, stating, "It's like the light bulb has gone on."[76]
California Chrome's first graded stakes win was the March 8 Grade II San Felipe Stakes, and he was the favorite.[77] Espinoza tried a different riding tactic and let him go to the lead right out of the gate.[78] As a result, California Chrome led most of the way, and after Espinoza gave him a tap on the shoulder with the whip, the horse pulled away from the field at the top of the homestretch and won by 7+1⁄2 lengths, with only mild urging.[77] Art Sherman said "I'm glad I'm training at Los Alamitos, because he looked like a 350 [yard] horse coming out of the gate,"[79] a reference to Quarter Horse racing distances. Alan Sherman said, "my jaw dropped",[80] and Espinoza remarked, "I don't know if people expected me to go right to the lead, but I wanted to let him enjoy his race."[81] This was California Chrome's first win in a race open to all three-year-olds and earned him 50 points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby system, making him a viable contender for the Kentucky Derby.[78]
"They would need to sprout wings to get to California Chrome."
—Trevor Denman, track announcer at Santa Anita Park, calling the San Felipe Stakes [82][78]
California Chrome's first Grade I win was the Santa Anita Derby on April 8.[83] Prior to the race, his owners turned down a $6 million offer for a 51% controlling interest in the colt that would have mandated putting the horse with a different trainer.[72] In the Santa Anita Derby, California Chrome was slow out of the gate and briefly caught between two horses, but once clear, he moved up to first by the quarter pole and went on to win the $1 million race by 5+1⁄4 lengths, again with minimal urging.[83] He defeated Rebel Stakes winner Hoppertunity,[84] who came in second, and another 3+1⁄2 lengths back in third was another potential Kentucky Derby contender, Candy Boy.[83] California Chrome's time of 1:47.52[25] earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 107, the fastest for any horse in the final prep races of 2014.[85] It was also the fourth fastest time in the history of the Santa Anita Derby; the only horses to have run faster were Lucky Debonair, Sham, and Indian Charlie.[86]
California Chrome's decisive win made him an early favorite to win the 2014 Kentucky Derby and raised speculation that he had the talent to win the Triple Crown.[87] After the Santa Anita Derby win, Sherman began to describe the colt as "my Swaps".[24] Of his growing popularity, Denise Martin commented, "Fans hold up signs with his name ... He’s not just our horse anymore; he’s his own horse, the people’s horse."[11]
Kentucky Derby
Prior to the 2014 Kentucky Derby. only three California-bred horses had won that race: Morvich in 1922, Swaps in 1955, and Decidedly in 1962.[3] Besides Swaps,[88] the only other horses to have previously won both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby were I'll Have Another, Sunday Silence, Winning Colors, Affirmed,[89] and Majestic Prince.[90] Nonetheless, Steve Coburn predicted that the horse was going to win. "I’m not being cocky, just positive," he said.[11]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/California_Chrome_at_2014_Kentucky_Derby.jpg/220px-California_Chrome_at_2014_Kentucky_Derby.jpg)
Prior to the Derby, trainer Bob Baffert compared California Chrome to War Emblem,[d] and commented, "As long as [California Chrome] breaks and he's in the clear ... he just keeps going."[92] Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who had no entries in the 2014 Derby, told a reporter that he intended to bet on the horse and commented, "He’s looked like the real deal ... I like everything about him."[93] On the other hand, Dallas Stewart, trainer of rival Commanding Curve, dismissed California Chrome's chances due to his pedigree and the supposed lack of competition in California.[94] There was also criticism that the colt had never raced outside California.[95] In contrast to the critics, reports surfaced that the owners had turned down a new offer of $10 million.[96]
The colt was shipped to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on April 28, 2014, and was one of the last Derby contenders to arrive. He was flown in from California, his first time on a plane, and traveled quietly. Once the plane landed, however, his travel idiosyncrasy was discovered by the press when he refused to be unloaded until he was turned around and backed down the ramp; Alan Sherman explained later that this was his typical manner of egress from ground-based transportation as well.[21] Fisher was flown in to give him a new set of shoes.[15] Critics commented that bringing the horse in late and not giving him a full workout on the track was a mistake,[97] but Sherman's strategy was backed by Lukas, who said "working over the racetrack is way overrated."[93] California Chrome jogged on the track the day after he arrived, strong and energetic even though he had to adjust to a three-hour time zone change.[98] He galloped on the track in following days,[99] schooled in the saddling paddock, and became familiar with the starting gate.[98] Willie Delgado later remarked that the horse did not particularly like the track, saying "he never actually felt comfortable on it."[100]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Kentucky_Derby_2014_finish.jpg/260px-Kentucky_Derby_2014_finish.jpg)
California Chrome's connections drew post position number five for the race. He was the morning line favorite at odds of 5–2.[101] Though the press suggested that the number five spot, relatively close to the inside rail, could be a problem owing to the "speed horses" that surrounded him on both sides,[26] combined with colt's past tendency to be slow out of the gate.[102][103] Espinoza countered by pointing out that he won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem from the same post position.[104]
In the race, California Chrome had a clean start and could have taken the lead, but Espinoza chose to keep him behind two speed horses and only moved him to the front at the final turn when other horses began to tire. In the homestretch, he opened up a lead of five lengths before Espinoza eased California Chrome the last 70 yards of the race,[26] narrowing his winning margin to 1+3⁄4 lengths.[105] Sherman later explained that Espinoza was "saving something for the next one": a reference to the Preakness Stakes two weeks later.[27] The winning time of 2:03.66 was relatively slow for a Kentucky Derby,[26] but Sherman described Espinoza's ride as "picture perfect".[106] This win was Espinoza's second Derby victory, and 77-year-old Sherman became the oldest trainer to ever win the race.[107] Previously, Charlie Whittingham held the record for oldest trainer when at age 76 his horse Sunday Silence won the 1989 Kentucky Derby.[108]
Following the Derby, Sherman told the press that he had visited Swaps' grave at the Kentucky Derby Museum prior to the Derby: "I said a little prayer and it came true, I said I hope he's another Swaps." Trainer Dale Romans, who had asserted California Chrome had no chance to win, said, "I was very, very wrong ... We might have just seen a super horse and a super trainer. You don't fake your way to the winner's circle at the Kentucky Derby."[109] Dallas Stewart later admitted, "Oh yeah, I was wrong."[94]
Preakness Stakes
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/California_Chrome_and_Victor_Espinoza_at_2014_Preakness_Stakes.jpg/260px-California_Chrome_and_Victor_Espinoza_at_2014_Preakness_Stakes.jpg)
California Chrome shipped via air to Baltimore for the 2014 Preakness Stakes. On the plane with him were the only two horses from the Derby that would run in the Preakness: Ride On Curlin and General a Rod.[110] Both had faced difficulties in the Derby and had new jockeys for the Preakness.[111][112] Sherman didn't like that horse had to run again with only a two-week break, but was confident that California Chrome was eating well, had gained back any weight he had lost running the Derby, plus had gained another 35 pounds by Preakness day.[113]
Just as before the Derby, the horse galloped on the Pimlico track, but had no timed workouts.[113][114] In his daily exercise, California Chrome seemed to like the track,[113] and Delgado, who had previously ridden and trained in Maryland, compared the long and narrow Pimlico oval favorably to the colt's home track at Los Alamitos.[115]
News stories prior to the race discussed the relatively slow pace of the Derby and the low Beyer Speed Figure of 97 earned by California Chrome in his win, saying the fresh "speed horses" who had not run in the Derby would challenge him over the shorter distance of the Preakness. 85-year-old Manny Azpurua, trainer of new rival Social Inclusion, who ran third in the Wood Memorial, asserted that the Preakness field would be stronger than the Derby field, saying, "California Chrome has to prove again he's the best 3-year-old."[111][116] Sherman responded, "he’s got enough lick that he can stay with any horse in the race. He likes a target to run at."[117] California Chrome was assigned the number three post position and was the morning line odds-on favorite at 3–5.[111] Sherman was not troubled by the inside spot.[118] Followers noted that Secretariat had also run the 1973 Preakness Stakes from the number three post.[119] Owner Coburn was optimistic: "One race at a time, but I'm still thinking Triple Crown."[120]
The Thursday before the race, California Chrome was observed coughing four times after his morning gallop, prompting media speculation about his health. He had a small blister in his throat, which he also had prior to the Kentucky Derby, both times treated with a glycerine throat wash. When the condition first appeared in Kentucky, he had been thoroughly examined and had blood work done. Alan Sherman stated that a veterinarian had checked the horse and other than the "itchy" throat, described as "minor", he was in good health.[121] The intense press attention paid to the relatively minor issue was dismissively dubbed "throat-gate" by sportswriter Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times.[122]
"This horse has given everybody else out there the incentive to say, 'you know what? We can do it too ...' It may not be a race horse ... whatever the case may be, but we just hope that this horse is letting America know that the little guy can win."
—Steve Coburn, co-owner[123]
On race day, May 17, California Chrome and Ride On Curlin, stabled two stalls apart, were both awake at 4:00 a.m. and making noise in the barn. Alan Sherman commented, "They were just talkin’ smack to each other. They know they’re in today."[124] California Chrome made a clean start out of the gate, was close to the front through the backstretch, made his bid for the lead at the far turn, and was first by the top of the stretch. He held off a challenge from Social Inclusion, who tired and finished third, 6+1⁄2 lengths behind second place finisher Ride on Curlin, who made a strong move late in the race to finish 1+1⁄2 lengths behind California Chrome. General a Rod was fourth. The winning time was 1:54:84,[125] earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 105. Social Inclusion's owner, Ron Sanchez, said, "He's the real deal ... My horse came to challenge him, but he found another engine. He was gone. You can't say it didn't happen. It happened."[126]
Sherman said California Chrome was "tired," after the race "[but] I think he'll be fine for the next round in New York." The press considered the Preakness to be the horse's strongest victory to date, as he had to handle a fast early pace, then move to the front sooner than Espinoza desired, and finally fend off two challengers in the homestretch.[127] Trainer Bob Baffert, who had won the first two legs of the Triple Crown with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002),[128][e] had run three different horses against California Chrome,[83][105][125] and was finished with trying to beat him.[126] Baffert stated, "...he's super the real deal;[129] "[h]e's just a remarkable athlete ... [h]e's doing it with ease. None of his races have taxed him."[126] Baffert added that "with Silver Charm and Real Quiet they were really taxing races ... But this horse, with this group, he rebreaks on them and just takes off again. I'm done chasing him."[126] In post-race interviews, Coburn stated that California Chrome had become "America's Horse."[123]
Belmont Stakes
Following the Preakness, about 24 hours' worth of press excitement erupted the day after the race when Sherman commented that they might not participate in the Belmont Stakes if the horse was not allowed to wear a nasal strip like he had worn in his previous six races.[130] Nasal strips may reduce airway resistance and the risk of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), plus aid post-race recovery.[131] They are not considered performance-enhancing.[132] Prior to the 2012 Belmont Stakes, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) stewards had refused to allow I'll Have Another to wear one.[130][f] The issue, quickly dubbed "nasalgate", raised discussion in the press about whether American horse racing needed uniform national rules, as the strips were allowed in all other states.[133] Sherman put in a formal request for permission to use them,[134] and on the following day, the NYRA announced that they would approve the use of nasal strips for all horses on New York tracks, thus resolving the matter.[135] Fans began to appear at the races wearing human nasal strips or purple band-aids across their noses.[136] For Belmont day, Santa Anita Park created a promotion, giving fans visiting that track human-sized purple nasal strips with the word "Chrome" on the front.[137]
California Chrome shipped to New York on May 20 in a semi-trailer horse van together with Ride On Curlin.[138][g] A police escort shadowed them through New York City from the Throgs Neck Bridge to Belmont Park. Both horses were stabled at the same barn, in space made available for them by local trainer Jimmy Toner.[138] His first week at the track was generally uneventful, other than passing close to an opossum that wandered on to the track the morning of May 23. The horse paid little attention to the critter, but the press pounced on the event;[139] the animal was dubbed "Dumb-Ass Possum,"[140] and someone created a Twitter account for the creature.[141] In search of interesting stories, the press even ran a piece on the Toner stable's barn cat, Mademoiselle.[142]
California Chrome again gained weight during his time at Belmont Park, with his girth measurement expanding from 71 to 72 inches (180 to 183 cm).[143] He galloped daily for up to two miles, and Delgado commented, "I can tell you he loves this track, and I don't see him (having) any problem getting a mile and a half."[144] Alan Sherman commented on California Chrome's conditioning: "He’s never taken a step back, he just keeps getting better and better and improving. It’s kind of scary, really." He added, "This horse has just taken us on the ride of our lives."[145] Fisher flew to New York to put on a new set of horseshoes,[17] and Espinoza arrived to give the colt a short half-mile workout known as a "breeze," on May 31. Horse and rider were greeted by a large contingent of fans and press at about 6:30 a.m., and went on to run a half-mile officially clocked at 47:69 seconds, a time described as "sharp" by the press, and "exactly what we wanted" by Alan Sherman. A clocker for the Daily Racing Form stated, "he's going to be tough to beat. I think we're going to have a Triple Crown winner."[146]
Eleven horses entered the Belmont Stakes, and California Chrome drew post position number 2. Ride On Curlin and General a Rod also entered, and these were the only horses to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown. Returning from the Kentucky Derby, having skipped the Preakness, were Commanding Curve, who was second in the Derby, along with Wicked Strong, Medal Count, and Samraat. "New Shooters" who had not run in either of the previous Triple Crown races included Tonalist, Matterhorn, Matuszak and Commissioner.[147] Tonalist and Commissioner had run first and second at Belmont Park in the Peter Pan Stakes.[127] Matterhorn had run fourth in that race.[147] Statisticians noted that no Triple Crown-winning horse had competed against more than seven other horses in the Belmont, and only two, Seattle Slew and Citation, had faced that many.[148] Sherman was comfortable with the inside draw, believing it would help the horse save ground in the long race.[147]
If California Chrome wins, he will become the first California-bred horse to win the Triple Crown.[17] To win, Jimmy Jones, trainer of Wicked Strong, stated, "One of our horses will have to run the race of his life, and California Chrome is going to have to throw in a clunker."[149]Anticipating the possibility of a Triple Crown champion, several people connected to the last three Triple Crown winners announced plans to be at the Belmont, including 92-year-old Penny Chenery, owner of Secretariat; Patrice Wolfson, who co-owned Affirmed along with her late husband, Louis; and some of Seattle Slew's connections—trainer Billy Turner, and Jim Hill, a co-owner. In addition, the jockeys of the three past winners, Steve Cauthen, Jean Cruguet, and Ron Turcotte, all announced they would attend. Cauthen, who, in 1978 was the last rider to win a Triple Crown, aboard Affirmed stated, "This horse has got a great chance of pulling it off," but added, "you never know, that’s why they have to run the race."[150]
Fans and publicity
"Chromies"
An enthusiastic fan base supporting California Chrome became visible about the time of the Santa Anita Derby, when someone invited the horse's supporters to join the owners in the winner's circle at the Santa Anita Derby and over 100 people crammed themselves into the area, including one woman dressed entirely in tin foil.[136] "Fans are coming out of nowhere," said Perry Martin.[11] The New York Times noted the enthusiasm at the Kentucky Derby and that supporters had become known as "Chromies";[151] They used the hashtag #Chromies to identify themselves on Twitter. The humble origins of the horse, his owners, and trainers played a role in his popularity,[136] as did the horse's people-focused attitude. As Alan Sherman explained, “He's a ham, he loves the cameras."[152] Supporters appeared to be further motivated by the continuing doubts about California Chrome's ability raised by racing experts. Though the horse had nationwide appeal, the core fan base was centered in the Central Valley of California, where the Sacramento television market ranked sixth in the nation for television viewership on Preakness day. Locals also liked that purple was a color on both the horse's racing silks and the team colors of the Sacramento Kings.[136] Prior to the Belmont, country music singer-songwriter team Templeton Thompson and Sam Gay wrote, and Thompson recorded, a song about the horse titled "Bring it on Home, Chrome."[153]
The naysayers also were out in force. NPR commentator Frank Deford, noted the "America's Horse" label and the way that the story invoked the American dream, but added that the horse's success would have little impact on the popularity of horse racing, which he viewed as "a sport that is struggling against time and culture" due to the prevalence of other types of gambling and the reduced impact of horses in the daily lives of most people.[154]
Saddle cloths
Upon arrival at Churchill Downs, the horses entered in the Kentucky Derby each were given a special saddle cloth to wear during their workouts, identifying them as Derby contenders and including their name. The one given to California Chrome contained a typographical error, with California misspelled as "Califorina." He wore it the first day and then the track management obtained one with the correct spelling. When he arrived at Pimlico to prepare for the Preakness, the management at that track gave him two saddlecloths, one with the "Califorina" misspelling, and the other with the correct spelling. After the horse won the Preakness, the press reported that Art Sherman believed the misspelled cloth was a good luck charm, as he specifically asked for and received another misspelled cloth along with a properly-spelled version.[155]
Marketing
Prior to the 2014 Belmont Stakes, California Chrome's owners filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark his name for use on athletic apparel such as caps, shirts, and jackets.[156] They hired two agencies to help with marketing and sponsorships, Leverage Agency in New York and Meticulous Talent Management in California. On June 2, the Skechers shoe company announced a sponsorship deal where the company's logo would appear on assorted items worn by the horse and his handlers around the time of the race, and the company would use California Chrome's image in its marketing for a month after the race.[157]
Statistics
Date | Age | Distance * | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Time | Field | Finish | Margin | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apr 26, 2013 | 2 | 4+1⁄2 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Hollywood Park | 6.90 | 52:47 | 9 | 2 | 1 length | Alberto Delgado | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [61] |
May 17, 2013 | 2 | 4+1⁄2 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Hollywood Park | 1.20 | 52:42 | 9 | 1 | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Alberto Delgado | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [62] |
June 15, 2013 | 2 | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes | Listed Stakes | Hollywood Park | 5.10 | NA | 9 | 5 | NA | Corey Nakatani | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [63] |
Jul 31, 2013 | 2 | 5+1⁄2 furlongs | Graduation Stakes | Listed Stakes | Del Mar racetrack | 6.20 | 1:03:48 | 7 | 1 | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Alberto Delgado | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [65] |
Sep 4, 2013 | 2 | 7 furlongs | Del Mar Futurity | I | Del Mar racetrack | 5.70 | NA | 11 | 6 | NA | Alberto Delgado | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [67] |
Nov 1, 2013 | 2 | 8 furlongs | Golden State Juvenile Stakes | Listed Stakes | Santa Anita Park | 3.2 | NA | 9 | 6 | NA | Alberto Delgado | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [69] |
Dec 22, 2013 | 2 | 7 furlongs | King Glorious Stakes | Listed Stakes | Hollywood Park | 2.20 | 1:22:12 | 10 | 1 | 6-1/4 lengths | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [71] |
Jan 25, 2014 | 3 | 8.5 furlongs | California Cup Derby | Listed Stakes | Santa Anita Park | 2.50 | 1:43:22 | 10 | 1 | 5+1⁄2 lengths | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [75] |
Mar 8, 2014 | 3 | 8.5 furlongs | San Felipe Stakes | II | Santa Anita Park | 1.40 | 1:40:59 | 7 | 1 | 7+1⁄2 lengths | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [77] |
Apr 5, 2014 | 3 | 9 furlongs | Santa Anita Derby | I | Santa Anita Park | 0.70 | 1:47:52 | 8 | 1 | 5+1⁄4 lengths | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [83] |
May 3, 2014 | 3 | 10 furlongs | Kentucky Derby | I | Churchill Downs | 2.50 | 2:03.66 | 19 | 1 | 1+3⁄4 lengths | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [105] |
May 17, 2014 | 3 | 9.5 furlongs | Preakness Stakes | I | Pimlico | 0.50 | 1:54.84 | 10 | 1 | 1+1⁄2 lengths | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [125] |
June 7, 2014 | 3 | 12 furlongs | Belmont Stakes | I | Belmont Park | 11 | Victor Espinoza | Art Sherman | Martin & Coburn | [158] |
furlongs | miles | meters |
---|---|---|
4.5 furlongs | 9⁄16 mile | 905 meters |
5.5 furlongs | 11⁄16 mile | 1,106 meters |
7 furlongs | 7⁄8 mile | 1,408 meters |
8 furlongs | 1 mile | 1,609 meters |
8.5 furlongs | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1,710 meters |
9 furlongs | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1,810.5 meters |
9.5 furlongs | 1+3⁄16 miles | 1,911 meters |
10 furlongs | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2,012 meters |
12 furlongs | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2,414 meters |
Pedigree
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Lucky_Pulpit_01.png/220px-Lucky_Pulpit_01.png)
California Chrome's sire, Lucky Pulpit, and his dam, Love the Chase, both raced primarily over short distances and had relatively undistinguished racing careers. However, many of their ancestors were successful race horses, and some were well known for stamina over distance. As of 2014 Lucky Pulpit has sired three other stakes winners: Rousing Sermon, who was California Champion Two-Year-Old colt, plus the geldings Luckarack, a multiple stakes winner, and Gatheratthealter.[37] Lucky Pulpit was sired by Pulpit, a leading sire of 63 stakes winners and particularly known for his son, the successful sire Tapit.[159] The sire line of these stallions traces to Bold Ruler, considered one of the greatest North American sires of the 20th century,[160] and ultimately to the Darley Arabian through Eclipse.[161] Bold Ruler's great-grandson was 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew and Seattle's Slew's best son, 1992 Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic winner A. P. Indy, is the sire of Pulpit.[160] A. P. Indy was also a grandson of Secretariat on his dam's side, bringing another cross to Bold Ruler into the pedigree. Pulpit is a grandson of Mr. Prospector on his dam's side, a line believed to cross well with Seattle Slew breeding.[162] There is a third line to Bold Ruler through Pulpit's maternal granddam, Narrate, and that mare also carries lines to 1964 Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer.[163] California Chrome is the second Kentucky Derby winner in a row who is a sire-line descendant of Seattle Slew, following Orb in 2013.[160] Lucky Pulpit's dam, Lucky Soph, is a half-sister to Trolley Song, the dam of Unbridled's Song. Lucky Soph is also a granddaughter of Trolley Song's sire, Caro, through her sire Cozzene.[163][164] The Irish-bred Caro also sired 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors.[165]
Love the Chase has several successful horses in her pedigree. Her sire, Not for Love, was by Mr. Prospector and out of a daughter of Northern Dancer, who appears again on the distaff side of Love the Chase's pedigree.[163] Her granddam, Chase the Dream, was sired by the 1968 Epsom Derby winner Sir Ivor. Vaguely Noble, winner of the 1968 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, is one of Chase the Dream's grandsires, and she also traces to the UK-bred Ribot, viewed by some as the greatest racehorse of his generation,[166] and to Princequillo, who was noted for his stamina.[1] Princequillo also appears several times in Lucky Pulpit's pedigree.[163] In the middle of her pedigree, Love the Chase has two crosses to the mare Numbered Account, who produced several Grade I stakes winners and was the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 1971. Numbered Account was a daughter of Buckpasser,[1] who won 25 of his 31 races, including a 15 race winning streak, earned five Eclipse Awards between 1965 and 1967, and was inducted to the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1970.[167] The Buckpasser line has been considered another good bloodline to crossbreed with horses descended from Seattle Slew.[162] Numbered Account was also a granddaughter of Swaps, and traces to La Troienne and War Admiral on both sides of her pedigree.[168] Numbered Account is in the pedigree of another Kentucky Derby winner: Super Saver, who won in 2010.[1] Love the Chase's tail-female line is one of the oldest in North America.[160] Through a mare named Selima, who was by the Godolphin Arabian, and imported to the Province of Maryland between 1750 and 1752,[169] the line ultimately traces to Thoroughbred family 21, which was founded by the Moonah Barb Mare, who was imported from Barbary to England in utero about 1700.[170]
California Chrome has relatively little inbreeding; he is 4 x 3 to Mr Prospector,[160] meaning that this ancestor appears once in the third and once in the fourth generations of his pedigree. He is also 4 x 4 to Numbered Account and 4 x 5 to Northern Dancer.[163] As one pedigree analyst phrased it, California Chrome's breeders “hit ... the genetic lottery that paid off.”[171]
Sire Lucky Pulpit (USA) 2001 |
Pulpit (USA) 1994 |
A.P. Indy | Seattle Slew |
---|---|---|---|
Weekend Surprise | |||
Preach | Mr Prospector | ||
Narrate | |||
Lucky Soph (USA) 1992 |
Cozzene | Caro | |
Ride The Trails | |||
Lucky Spell | Lucky Mel | ||
Incantation | |||
Dam Love The Chase (USA) 2006 |
Not For Love (USA) 1993 |
Mr Prospector | Raise A Native |
Gold Digger | |||
Dance Number | Northern Dancer | ||
Numbered Account | |||
Chase It Down (USA) 1992 |
Polish Numbers | Danzig | |
Numbered Account | |||
Chase The Dream | Sir Ivor | ||
La Belle Fleur (Family 21) |
Notes
- ^ The shorter marking on the left front leg is a partial stocking, as the high white only extends up the back half of the leg
- ^ The horse also eats normal meals of hay and grain.
- ^ With the success of California Chrome in 2014, Lucky Pulpit's stud fee was raised to $10,000.[38]
- ^ Baffert trained War Emblem to win the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Espinoza as jockey[91]
- ^ Baffert also won the Preakness and Belmont but not the Derby with Point Given[128]
- ^ The issue was of no actual impact due to I'll Have Another pulling out the day before the race due to injury.[132]
- ^ Sherman and Ride On Curlin's trainer, William "Billy" Gowan, had become good friends while at Pimlico.[124]
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{{cite book}}
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