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. Trained by the father-son team of Art Sherman and Alan Sherman, the colt was the first horse they entered in the Kentucky Derby. As a young man, the elder Sherman was the exercise rider for the 1955 Kentucky Derby winner, Swaps, another California-bred horse. California Chrome's owners are Perry and Denise Martin from Yuba City, California, and Steve and Carolyn Coburn of Topaz Lake, Nevada.
A grandson of Pulpit, with two lines to 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 the first foal of his dam, Love The Chase. Nicknamed "Junior" in honor of his sire, Lucky Pulpit, he 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 for the King Glorious Stakes on December 22, 2013. He won that race and has been undefeated since. Prior to the Santa Anita Derby, his owners turned down an offer of $6 million for a 51 percent controlling interest, which would have resulted in a change of trainer and crew. After his win, his popularity increased, with a fan base forming that called themselves "Chromies," and one of his owners commenting, "He’s not just our horse anymore; he’s ... the people’s horse."
Arriving at Churchill Downs in Kentucky less than a week before the Derby, California Chrome was the morning line favorite, though critics downplayed his chances of winning by questioning the quality of the colt's breeding, his trainer's strategy, and how he would handle an inside post position in a large field of 19 horses. 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), in a ride that Art Sherman described as "perfect", and won by 1-3⁄4 lengths. After California Chrome shipped to Pimlico Race Course for his next race, the Preakness, a minor media frenzy erupted when the horse was noticed coughing after a gallop two days before his start. Given a clean bill of health by a veterinarian, he went off as the favorite, won by 1-1⁄2 lengths, and for his successes from humble roots, was dubbed "America's Horse." On May 20, 2014, he shipped to Belmont Park in anticipation of running for the Triple Crown in the 2014 Belmont Stakes on June 7. If the horse wins, he will become the first California-bred horse to win the Triple Crown.
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,<≠ref name=equibase/> 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 as a yearling for $30,000 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. Initially, he wore glued-on horseshoes.[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 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 rim of 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] By nailing on the shoes, Fisher explained this raised the soles of the horse's feet a bit farther off the ground. The first time this method was used was prior to the King Glorious Stakes in December 2013, and is viewed as one of the possible factors contributing to the horse'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 will eat no other treat.[8][b] "He runs for those cookies," says Steve Coburn.[18] He is very curious about everything around him,[19] appears to enjoy posing for cameras,[20] 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.[21] 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.[22] Of more serious concern was his past history of being slow out of the starting gate in some races. The reason this occurred was because he grows impatient if he has to wait too long and at times 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.[23]
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.[24] 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 of 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 the horse'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".[25] 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.[26]
![](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,[27][28] says he and his wife are "just everyday people".[24][29] He grew up in central California and once 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.[18] He now works as a press operator for a company that makes magnetic strips.[25] Carolyn Coburn retired in March 2014[30] from a career working in payroll in the health care industry.[29] 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] and 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] plus degrees in applied physics from Michigan Technological University, and solid state physics from the University of Illinois-Chicago.[33] Denise Martin is the company's senior chemist, managing the company's fatigue testing and thermal analytics.[29] 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] At the time of breeding, the stallion had a stud fee of $2,500, considered quite low in the world of Thoroughbred horse breeding.[37][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.[38] 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.[39] However, Love the Chase suffered a uterine laceration as a complication of giving birth to the large foal, and the pair had to be kept stall-bound for over a month while her injury was treated.[40] 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.[41] She remained bonded to her foal and did not reject him, but in that time, the young foal also imprinted on humans,[40] who gave him extra attention and affection when they cared for his dam.[41] As a result, he became very people-focused, a trait that has served him well since entering race training.[40] He was raised from birth at Harris Farms until being shipped to Art Sherman's training barn for race training at age two.[29] Harris Farms had previously nurtured champion race horses from conception, having bred, raised and began the training of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow.[42]
The Martins and Coburns were very fond of California Chrome, visiting him regularly through his early years.[29] His nickname, given to him by the Martins when he was a foal, is "Junior".[11] The Coburns had begun treating Love The Chase with a special brand of horse cookies when she had refused to eat carrots during her racing years, and they continued to bring "buckets" of them to the Harris Ranch, where California Chrome also acquired a taste for the treats.[18] The Coburns and Martins chose his official name at a restaurant named 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 name the registry accepted.[43] 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".[44][45]
Sherman training stables
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Art_Sherman2.jpg/180px-Art_Sherman2.jpg)
Perry Martin considered California Chrome a Derby horse even before he began race training and had mapped out a racing plan for him.[46] 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.[47] Art Sherman liked the enthusiasm of both owners and accepted the colt for training.[25] 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.[48] 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.[49] Art Sherman's assistant is his son, Alan, age 45,[50] who is also a licensed trainer.[26] Alan was a jockey for three years before he became too heavy to do so, but in that short time rode in southern California for trainers such as Charlie Whittingham and won over a million dollars in purse money. 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.[49]
The horse 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,[25] Sherman worked for Rex Ellsworth [51] and was the exercise rider at Churchill Downs for Swaps, who won the Kentucky Derby that year.[25] Sherman became a professional jockey beginning in 1957[52] and then moved on to be a race horse trainer in 1979.[53] Sherman typically downplays his role and credits California Chrome, saying, "This horse is my California rock star. I'm just his manager."[54]
Unlike most high-end California Thoroughbred trainers, who usually are headquartered at Santa Anita Park,[55] Sherman stables his horses at Los Alamitos Race Course,[25] which is better-known as a track for Quarter Horse racing and minor Thoroughbred claiming races. 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.[56] Los Alamitos also took over some of Hollywood Park's racing dates and will host all-Thoroughbred meets for the first time in 2014.[57] Because many trainers who brought horses to the races formerly hosted at Hollywood Park are unfamiliar with the Los Alamitos facility, Los Alamitos' manager was happy with the success of California Chrome and the good publicity for the track that followed in its wake.[4]
Racing history
2013: Two-year-old season
California Chrome came in second by a length in his first start, which was at Hollywood Park Racetrack in April 2013, when he was two years old.[58] Three weeks later, he won his second race by 2-3/4 lengths.[59] In both races, he was ridden by Alberto Delgado. His next race was less than a month later when he was entered in the Willard L. Proctor Memorial Stakes, where he was one of the four horses given the highest impost assigned in the race, 120 pounds (54 kg), and had a jockey change to Corey Nakatani. He fought for the lead in the first three furlongs, but then weakened and finished fifth in a field of nine.[60] Given a six-week break from competition and moving to Del Mar racetrack for his next two races with Alberto Delgado back as his rider,[61] he won the Graduation Stakes, a race limited to California-bred horses,[62] by 2-3/4 lengths. While he again was assigned 120 pounds (54 kg), he wore blinkers and also ran on the medication Lasix for the first time in his career.[61] The next time out, he ran a longer seven-furlong race and was assigned 122 pounds (55 kg). Although he ran strongly, he got caught in traffic in a large field of 11 horses and finished sixth. This was his first graded stakes race, the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.[63] California Chrome was given almost two months before he ran again, in the Golden State Juvenile Stakes on November 1 at Santa Anita Park. This race was on the undercard for the Breeders' Cup,[64] and at one mile, was the longest race he had ever run. Carrying 121 pounds (55 kg), and assigned the number 1 post position,[65] which meant he had to wait for all the other horses to load, his reared in the gate, had a bad start,[23] was last out, struggled throughout the race, and faded to sixth at the end.[65] Sherman viewed his "rough trips" as evidence that he was still growing and learning how to be a race horse.[62]
The fortunes of Sherman and 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.[19] He was switched to a new type of horseshoe.[16] Then the horse returned to Hollywood Park for his final race of the year, the King Glorious Stakes on December 22. He was given a lighter impost of 119 pounds (54 kg), a shorter distance of seven furlongs, and a new jockey, Victor Espinoza.[66] Espinoza, who won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem,[67] won the King Glorious Stakes with California Chrome by 6-1/4 lengths.[66] The horse was, incidentally, the final stakes winner at Hollywood Park Racetrack, which held its final races that day and then closed permanently.[68] 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."[62] 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.[69]
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 his 2014 season with the California Cup Derby on January 25. Espinoza returned as his jockey. The horse was the second favorite and carried 124 pounds (56 kg), the same impost as the favorite. 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.[70] 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."[71]
The horse's first graded stakes win was the March 8 Grade II San Felipe Stakes. The race was over the same distance as the California Cup, and he was the favorite. He carried 118 pounds (54 kg).[72] Espinoza tried a different riding tactic and let him go to the lead right out of the gate.[73] 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.[72] This was his 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.[73] Alan Sherman said, "my jaw dropped",[74] and Espinoza explained in an interview, "I don't know if people expected me to go right to the lead, but I wanted to let him enjoy his race."[75]
"They would need to sprout wings to get to California Chrome."
—Trevor Denman, track announcer at Santa Anita Park, calling the San Felipe Stakes [76][73]
His first Grade I win was the Santa Anita Derby on April 8.[77] Prior to the race, the 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.[67] In the Santa Anita Derby, California Chrome was again slow out of the gate and then was 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.[77] He defeated Rebel Stakes winner Hoppertunity,[78] who came in second, and another 3-1/2 lengths back in third was another potential Kentucky Derby contender, Candy Boy.[77] His time of 1:47.52[26] earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 107, the fastest for any horse in the final prep races for 2014.[79] 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.[80]
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.[81] After the Santa Anita Derby win, Sherman began to describe the colt as "my Swaps".[25] 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
California Chrome won the 2014 Kentucky Derby. Only three California-bred horses had previously done so: Morvich in 1922, Swaps in 1955, and Decidedly in 1962.[3] Besides Swaps,[82] 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,[83] and Majestic Prince.[84]
![](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 he breaks and he's in the clear ... he just keeps going."[86] 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."[87] 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.[88] Steve Coburn predicted that the horse was going to win. “I’m not being cocky, just positive.”[11]
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.[22] Fisher was brought 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,[89] but Sherman's strategy was backed by Lukas, who said "working over the racetrack is way overrated."[87] There was also criticism that the colt had never raced outside California.[90]
California Chrome jogged on the track the day after he arrived, and was strong and energetic even though he had to adjust to a three-hour time zone change.[91] He galloped on the track in following days,[92] schooled in the saddling paddock, and became familiar with the starting gate.[91] Willie Delgado later remarked that the horse did not particularly like the track, "he never actually felt comfortable on it."[93]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Kentucky_Derby_2014_finish.jpg/260px-Kentucky_Derby_2014_finish.jpg)
His connections drew post position number five for the race. He was the morning line favorite at odds of 5–2.[94] 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,[27] combined with colt's past tendency to be slow out of the gate,[95][96] Espinoza countered by pointing out that he won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem from the same post position.[97]
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, but then Espinoza eased California Chrome the last 70 yards of the race,[27] narrowing his winning margin to 1-3/4 lengths.[98] Sherman later explained that Espinoza was "saving something for the next one": a reference to the Preakness Stakes two weeks later.[28] The winning time of 2:03.66 was relatively slow for a Kentucky Derby,[27] but Sherman described Espinoza's ride as "perfect".[99] This win was Espinoza's second Derby victory, and 77-year-old Sherman became the oldest trainer to ever win the race.[100] Previously, Charlie Whittingham held the record for oldest trainer when at age 76 his horse Sunday Silence won the 1989 Kentucky Derby.[101]
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."[102] Dallas Stewart later admitted, "Oh yeah, I was wrong."[88] The New York Times commented on the rise of a fan base for the horse, known as "Chromies".[103]
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 rested for about a week in Louisville and then was shipped via air to Baltimore for the 2014 Preakness Stakes. On the plane with him were the only two horses from the Derby to challenge him in the Preakness: Ride On Curlin and General a Rod,[104] each of whom had rough trips in the Derby that hurt their chances in the race; both had new jockeys for the Preakness.[105][106] Sherman was not happy that the Preakness date meant the 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.[107] Just as before the Derby, the horse galloped on the track but had no timed workouts.[107][108]
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, noting 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."[105][109] Sherman responded, "he’s got enough lick that he can stay with any horse in the race. He likes a target to run at."[110] In his daily exercise, the horse seemed to like the track,[107] and Delgado, who had previously ridden and trained in Maryland, viewed the long and narrow Pimlico oval as similar to the colt's home track at Los Alamitos.[111] California Chrome was assigned the number three post position and was the morning line odds-on favorite at 3–5.[105] Sherman was not troubled by the inside spot.[112] Followers of a twitter feed devoted to the horse, @CalChrome,[113] noted that Secretariat had also run the 1973 Preakness Stakes from the number three post.[114] Owner Coburn was optimistic: "One race at a time, but I'm still thinking Triple Crown."[115]
The Thursday before the race, the horse was observed coughing four times after his morning gallop, prompting intense 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.[116] The intense press attention paid to the relatively minor issue was dismissively dubbed "throat-gate" by sportswriter Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times.[117]
"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[118]
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.”[119] California Chrome was 1-2 odds by post time. He 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, holding off a challenge from Social Inclusion, who tired and finished third, 6-1/2 lengths behind second place finisher Ride on Curlin, who finished 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner after making a strong move late in the race. California Chrome's winning time was 1:54:84,[120] and he earned 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."[121]
Sherman said the horse was "tired," after the race but "I think he'll be fine for the next round in New York." The Preakness was viewed as his strongest victory to date, noting that he had to handle a fast early pace, then move to the front earlier than Espinoza desired, and finally fend off two challengers in the homestretch.[122] In post-race interviews, Coburn stated that California Chrome had become "America's Horse."[118]
Belmont Stakes
Following the Preakness, a day's worth of press excitement erupted when Sherman commented that they might not participate in the Belmont Stakes if the horse was not allowed to wear a nasal strip as he had in his previous six races.[123] Nasal strips may reduce airway resistance and the risk of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), plus aid post-race recovery.[124] They are not considered performance-enhancing.[125] Prior to the 2012 Belmont Stakes, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) stewards had refused to allow I'll Have Another to wear one.[123][e] The issue, quickly dubbed "nasalgate", raised discussion in the press of whether American horse racing needed uniform national rules, as the strips were allowed in other states.[126] Sherman put in a formal request for permission to use them,[127] 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.[128] A sports reporter for the Washington Post tweeted, "Our long national nightmare is over."[125] 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.[129]
Possible entrants for the 2014 Belmont Stakes included three horses from the Preakness field and several horses who ran in the Derby but skipped the Preakness. Some "new shooters" were also thought likely to enter, notably Tonalist and Commissioner, the first two finishers in the May 10 Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.[122] The potentially large field, with sportswriters speculating that as many as 11 other horses might enter, drew the attention of statisticians, who 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 even that many.[130] Trainer Bob Baffert, who had won the first two legs of the Triple Crown three times in the same year but never the third,[f] was finished with trying to challenge California Chrome.[121] He had not succeeded with Hoppertunity,[77] nor with Chitu,[98] or Bayern.[120] He stated, "...he's super the real deal;[132] "[h]e's just a remarkable athlete ... [h]e's doing it with ease. None of his races have taxed him."[121] 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."[121] 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.”[133]
California Chrome shipped to New York for the Belmont on the Tuesday following the Preakness, traveling in a semi-trailer horse van together with Ride On Curlin;[134][g] A police escort shadowed them through New York City from the Throgs Neck Bridge to Belmont Park. Both horses were stabled in the same barn at Belmont Park, with space made available for them by local trainer Jimmy Toner.[134] Art and Alan Sherman's conditioning plan for the horse was similar to the previous two races: a jog the day following arrival,[134] then daily gallops and schooling in the gate and the paddock, but adding a short half-mile workout known as a "breeze," on May 31.[135] His first week on the track was generally uneventful, other than passing close to an opossum that wandered onto the track the morning of May 23. The horse paid little attention to the critter, but the press pounced on the event;[136] the animal was dubbed "Dumb-Ass Possum,"[137] and someone created a Twitter account for the creature.[138]
California Chrome again gained weight during his time at Belmont Park, with his girth measurement expanding from 71 to 72 inches (1,800 to 1,800 mm).[139] He was 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."[140] Fisher flew to New York to put new shoes on the horse.[14] The horse usually ran the first mile at an easy pace, then wanted to speed up and would pull on his rider for the second part of the workout.[135] Alan Sherman commented on his 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.”[141] Fisher flew to New York to put on a new set of horseshoes,[17] and Espinoza arrived to give the colt his workout the Saturday prior to the Belmont. 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 workout officially clocked at 47:69 seconds, a time described as "sharp" by the press, and "exactly what we wanted" by Alan Sherman, who had said that the horse was ready for a faster work. 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."[142]
If the horse wins, he will become the first California-bred horse to win the Triple Crown.[17] 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 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.”[143]
Other
"Chromies"
An enthusiastic fan base of supporter of California Chrome began to coalesce about the time of the Santa Anita Derby.[144] Signs cheering on the horse appeared at his races. Fans are coming out of nowhere," said Perry Martin.[11] When someone invited the horse's supporters to join the owners in the winner's circle at the Santa Anita Derby, over 100 people crammed themselves into the area, including one woman dressed entirely in tin foil. The fans appeared to be motivated by the humble origins of the horse, his owners and trainers, with the hashtag #Chromies used to self-identify fans on Twitter.[144] Supporters appeared to be further encouraged in their enthusiasm for the underdog 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. The horse's people-focused attitude also played a role. As one fan put it, "I don’t throw the word ‘Jedi’ around often, but he’s definitely a Jedi.”[144] Country music singer-songwriter team Templeton Thompson and Sam Gay wrote, and Thompson recorded a song for the horse, titled "Bring it on Home, Chrome."[145]
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, Art Sherman became convinced the misspelled cloth was a good luck charm, and specifically asked for and received yet another misspelled cloth done up along with a properly-spelled version for the horse to wear in his Belmont Park workouts.[146]
Marketing
Prior to the 2014 Belmont Stakes, the owners filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark California Chrome's name for the purpose of using it on athletic apparel such as caps, shirts and jackets.[147] They hired two agencies to help with marketing and sponsorships, Leverage Agency in New York and Meticulous Talent Management in California. On June 2, 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.[148]
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 | [58] |
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 | [59] |
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 | [60] |
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 | [61] |
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 | [63] |
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 | [65] |
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 | [66] |
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 | [70] |
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 | [72] |
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 | [77] |
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 | [98] |
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 | [120] |
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 had sired two other stakes winners in addition to California Chrome.[1] Lucky Pulpit was sired by Pulpit, a leading sire of 63 stakes winners and particularly known for his son, the successful sire Tapit.[149] The sire line of these stallions traces to Bold Ruler, considered one of the greatest North American sires of the 20th century. 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.[150] 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.[151] There is a third line to Bold Ruler through Pulpit's maternal granddam, Narrate, and that mare who also carries lines to 1964 Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer.[152] California Chrome is the second Kentucky Derby winner in a row who is a sire-line descendant of Seattle Slew, following Orb in 2013.[150] 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.[152][153] The Irish-bred Caro also sired 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors.[154]
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.[152] 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,[155] and to Princequillo, who was noted for his stamina.[1] Princequillo also appears several times in Lucky Pulpit's pedigree.[152] 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 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.[156] The Buckpasser line has been considered another good bloodline to crossbreed with horses descended from Seattle Slew.[151] Numbered Account was also a granddaughter of Swaps, and traces to La Troienne and War Admiral on both sides of her pedigree.[157] Numbered Account is in the pedigree of another Kentucky Derby winner: Super Saver, who won in 2010.[1] The tail-female line is one of the oldest in North America, tracing to horses first imported in the 1700s.[150]
California Chrome has relatively little inbreeding; he is 4 x 3 to Mr Prospector,[150] 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.[152]
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 left front leg marking is closer to a sock than a stocking, as the high white only extends up the back tendon of the leg
- ^ The horse also eats normal meals of hay and grain.
- ^ With the success of California Chrome, as of 2014, Lucky Pulpit stands for a $10,000 stud fee.[37]
- ^ Baffert trained War Emblem to win the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Espinoza as jockey[85]
- ^ The issue was of no actual impact due to I'll Have Another pulling out the day before the race due to injury.[125]
- ^ In addition to winning the Derby and Preakness with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002), Baffert also won the Preakness and Belmont but not the Derby with Point Given[131]
- ^ Sherman and Ride On Curlin's trainer, William "Billy" Gowan, had become good friends while at Pimlico, heard encouraging each other with a chant of "one-two" in the days prior to the race, which is how their horses finished.[119]
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{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "War Emblem". Equibase. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
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