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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 and Steve Coburn
Owner	Perry Martin and Steve Coburn
Racing colors	Purple, green, donkey on back, green cap
Trainer	Art Sherman
Record	13:8–1–0
Earnings	US$ $3,532,650
Major wins
Graded stakes wins: Santa Anita Derby (2014) San Felipe Stakes (2014) California Cup Derby (2014) King Glorious Stakes (2013) Graduation Stakes (2013) Triple Crown classic race wins: Kentucky Derby (2014) Preakness Stakes (2014)
Last updated on June 7, 2014

California Chrome (foaled February 18, 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, bred in California, who won the 2014 Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. His trainers are the father–son team of Art Sherman and Alan Sherman, and he is owned by Perry Martin from Yuba City, California, and Steve Coburn of Topaz Lake, Nevada. Martin and Coburn named themselves DAP Racing, standing for "Dumb Ass Partners", a tongue-in-cheek response to a passerby 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 in his pedigree, the chestnut-colored horse was named for his flashy white markings, called "chrome" by horse aficionados. He was nicknamed "Junior" in honor of his sire, Lucky Pulpit. California Chrome was Love the Chase's first foal, and she was injured in giving birth, requiring mare and foal to stay in a stall for a month while she underwent medical treatment. In that time, California Chrome imprinted on humans because he received extra attention from people who came by to treat the mare several times a day. His people-focused attitude was later viewed as a useful trait in his training as a racehorse. California Chrome was sent to the Shermans' training stable as a two-year-old because of their reputation for patiently developing young horses. The colt's first win was in his second race, but he had trouble winning consistently until being paired with jockey Victor Espinoza to win the King Glorious Stakes on December 22, 2013. The rapport that developed between Espinoza and California Chrome resulted in a six-win streak that included the Santa Anita Derby and the San Felipe Stakes as well as the Derby and Preakness. A dedicated fan base, known as "Chromies", actively supported California Chrome, who was called "the people's horse".

Arriving at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, critics downplayed California Chrome's chances of winning: they questioned the quality of his breeding, his trainers' strategy, and how he would handle a large field of 19 horses. He was the morning line favorite for the race, 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. In 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". He was shipped next to Belmont Park in anticipation of running for the Triple Crown in the 2014 Belmont Stakes, where the horse and everyone around him were subjected to a great deal of press attention due to his populist appeal and large fan base. People wrote songs about him, and his owners obtained marketing deals to promote running shoes and nasal strips. In the Belmont, California Chrome was stepped on by the horse next to him at the start, tearing off some tissue on his right front heel. With no one aware of his injury, he appeared to tire and lack his needed kick, finishing fourth in a dead heat with Wicked Strong. After the race, he was ranked as the top three-year-old horse in the United States by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and fifth in the world in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings in their June 12, 2014, listing. Given time off for the injury to heal and pasture rest from the rigors of the Triple Crown series, California Chrome is expected to race again later in the year, aiming for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Background

California Chrome was foaled on February 18, 2011, near Coalinga, California at Harris Farms, the horse breeding division of the Harris Ranch. He is a chestnut with four white stockings and a blaze. As a foal, he was given the nickname "Junior" by the Martins because of his resemblance to his sire, Lucky Pulpit. A son of Pulpit, Lucky Pulpit won three races, including a stakes race. He placed in several graded stakes races, including a second-place finish in the Santa Catalina Stakes. He hit the board in 13 of his 22 starts. However, a viral respiratory infection damaged his breathing and limited him to racing over short distances.

California Chrome's dam is Love the Chase, and he was her first foal. 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. 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. They paid $8,000 for her, and after two more races, they retired her in 2009. She had been very nervous as a racehorse and often panicked in the saddling paddock, in effect losing races before she ever got to the starting gate. Martin and Coburn hoped she would become a good broodmare, as she had a good pedigree. When she retired, it was discovered that she had been racing with a breathing problem, an entrapped epiglottis that restricted her air intake but can be corrected with surgery. As of 2014, she has given birth to three foals. The other two, both fillies, are full sisters to California Chrome. After California Chrome became a Kentucky Derby contender, Martin and Coburn turned down an offer of $2.1 million for Love the Chase.

The horse's feet have generally been healthy, belying a commonly held belief in the horse racing world that four white feet on a horse are undesirable. California Chrome's trainer and farrier have been careful in the management of his white-colored hooves. Nonetheless, during his two-year-old season, California Chrome began 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. Fisher also liked the shoe design because the hard rubber pad on the shoe was very durable. 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. Nailing on the shoes raised the soles of the horse's feet a little bit farther off the ground, according to Fisher. The first time this shoe was applied was just prior to the King Glorious Stakes in December 2013. It may have been a contributing factor to California Chrome's subsequent series of wins.

California Chrome has been noted for certain idiosyncrasies. He has a fondness for one specific brand of horse cookies, and the Coburns claim he will not eat any other treat. He is curious about everything around him, and many observers have commented that he appears to be a very intelligent horse. He 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. When he is walking in the stable area, he appears to deliberately stop and pose for cameras when he hears them clicking. 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. 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 opened. On one occasion, he reared in the gate. Though still anxious in the gate, at the Triple Crown races, he had settled down enough to have clean starts.

Ownership

California Chrome was bred by and is owned by Perry Martin of Yuba City, California and Steve Coburn of Topaz Lake, Nevada. The two also own Love the Chase. Their wives, Denise Martin and Carolyn Coburn, are closely involved with the partnership, though they do not appear as owners on official records kept by Equibase. Perry Martin owns a 70% share in the horse and is the managing owner. Originally, the two couples each owned a five percent share in Love the Chase through membership in the Blinkers On Racing Stable. 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. 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. 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". 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. The initials "DAP" appear on California Chrome's blinker hood and the left front of the jockey's silks.

The Martins and the Coburns have in common a fondness for California Chrome but otherwise have very different personalities and backgrounds. As Carolyn Coburn explained, "We couldn't be more different. We met at the racetrack because of a horse. That's what's so great about this game. It brings people together."

The Martins met over a mutual interest in the novel Foundation by Isaac Asimov and went to see harness racing on their first date. Today they own and operate Martin Testing Laboratories (MTL) that is located within McClellan Business Park at the former McClellan Air Force Base. The company provides product assurance and reliability testing of new technologies and materials, including automobile airbags and medical equipment. Perry Martin described the items MTL tests as "the kind where somebody dies if something goes wrong". Originally from Chicago, Perry Martin has an MBA, a degree in applied physics from Michigan Technological University, and an advanced degree in solid state physics from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He had been going to horse races at Arlington Park since he was a teenager. Denise Martin is MTL's senior chemist, managing the company's fatigue testing and thermal analytics. They married in 1986 and celebrated their 28th anniversary on the weekend of the Preakness, thus missing seeing the race live. They moved to California in 1987, where Perry Martin was employed as a metallurgist by the Air Force and Denise briefly job shadowed a racehorse trainer in the Sacramento area. Perry Martin worked at the McClellan Air Force Base prior to its 2001 closure, performing testing and analysis work, briefing both Congress and the Air Force Chief of Staff on his work with Air Force weapons systems. He wrote the Electronic Failure Analysis Handbook, published by McGraw-Hill in 1999. Martin is often described as the quiet member of the partnership due to his reticence in talking to the press.

Steve Coburn, characterized by the media as the more "loquacious" of the two men, describes himself and his wife as "just everyday people". "This horse could have been born to anybody; he was born to us, and we're very blessed with that." He grew up in central California and worked as a modern-day cowboy herding cattle at a feedlot, and at some ranching jobs. He was also involved with horses at rodeos. He now works as a press operator for a company that makes magnetic strips. Carolyn Coburn retired in March 2014 from a career working in payroll in the health care industry. 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. Immediately following the Belmont Stakes, Coburn generated some controversy when he described the current Triple Crown system as allowing "the coward's way out" because horses who had not run in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes could challenge horses who had contested all three legs without a break. Trainer Art Sherman commented, " was at the heat of the moment. And don't forget, he's a fairly new owner. Sometimes the emotions get in front of you ... He hasn't been in the game long and hasn't had any bad luck." By the following Monday morning, Coburn had apologized, saying he wanted to congratulate the owners of winner Tonalist and adding, "I wanted so much for to win the Triple Crown for the people of America, and I was pretty emotional, very emotional."

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. Prior to the beginning of the 2014 breeding season, Lucky Pulpit had a published stud fee of $2,500, considered quite low in the world of Thoroughbred horse breeding. 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. At birth, California Chrome was relatively large for a newborn horse, weighing 137 pounds (62 kg). Martin described the foal as "running circles around Momma" within two hours of birth. Love the Chase suffered a uterine laceration as a complication of giving birth and was placed on an IV due to internal bleeding. The mare and foal were stall-bound for over a month while her injury was treated. During that time, she was kept on a catheter that administered anti-bleeding medication, and the farm staff checked her two to three times a day. She remained bonded to her foal and did not reject him, but in that time, the colt also imprinted on humans, who gave him extra attention and affection when they cared for his dam. As a result, California Chrome became very people-focused, a trait that has served him well since entering race training. Harris Farms had previously nurtured champion race horses, having bred, raised, and begun the training of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow. California Chrome remained at Harris Farms from birth until he was shipped to Art Sherman's training barn at age two.

The Martins and Coburns visited California Chrome regularly through his early years. 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. The word "chrome" in his name comes from slang for a horse with flashy white markings. 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".

Sherman training stables

Perry Martin considered California Chrome a Derby contender even before he began training and had mapped out a racing plan for him. 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 his father, Art Sherman, who had an "old school" reputation for patience with young Thoroughbreds and a small racing stable of about 15 horses, which allowed each animal to be given individualized attention. California Chrome was the first Kentucky Derby prospect that Art Sherman had trained, but he had prior experience with one Derby horse: in 1955, at the age of 18, he worked for Rex Ellsworth and was the exercise rider of Kentucky Derby winner Swaps. Sherman became a professional jockey beginning in 1957 and then turned to training race horses in 1979.

Art Sherman's assistant is his son, Alan, who is also a licensed trainer. Alan was a jockey for three years in the 1980s until, as he put it, "I ate my way out of that job." As a jockey, he rode in southern California for trainers such as Charlie Whittingham and won over a million dollars in purse money, while 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 has worked with his father 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 when Art returned to California to oversee the rest of the stable.

Art Sherman liked the enthusiasm of Martin and Coburn, but when Martin emailed his plan for which races California Chrome should run in to reach the Kentucky Derby, Sherman was dubious. Nonetheless, after the horse won the Preakness, Alan Sherman stated, " mapped out a trail for this horse; it's actually worked to a 'T,' so it's kinda amazing." Art Sherman downplays his role in training California Chrome, saying "This horse is my California rock star. I'm just his manager."

Unlike most high-end California Thoroughbred trainers, who usually are headquartered at Santa Anita Park, Sherman stables and trains his horses at Los Alamitos Race Course, 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 horses there, including Sherman. Los Alamitos also took over some of Hollywood Park's racing dates and will host all-Thoroughbred meets for the first time in July 2014. Because many trainers who ran horses at Hollywood Park are unfamiliar with the Los Alamitos facility, the success of California Chrome, who was conditioned there, created good publicity for the track.

Racing history

2013: Two-year-old season

California Chrome's first start as a two-year-old was at Hollywood Park in April 2013, and he came in second by a length. Three weeks later, he won a maiden race by 2+3⁄4 lengths. 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, but because Delgado was out with a broken ankle, Corey Nakatani was the rider. The colt held second place for the first three furlongs and finished fifth in a field of nine. He was given a six-week break and then moved to Del Mar racetrack for his next two races. Delgado returned as his jockey, and California Chrome scored his second career win in the Graduation Stakes, a race limited to California-bred horses, prevailing by 2+3⁄4 lengths. As in the previous race, he was assigned 120 pounds (54 kg) and ran 5+1⁄2 furlongs, but this time he wore blinkers and also ran on the medication Lasix for the first time in his career. Next was his first graded stakes race, the seven-furlong, Grade I Del Mar Futurity. Although he ran strongly, he got caught in traffic in a field of 11 horses, was accidentally hit in the face by another jockey's whip, and finished sixth. 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, and at 1 mile (1.6 km), was the longest race he had run. He was assigned the number 1 post position and thus had to wait for all the other horses to load. He became anxious during the wait, reared in the gate, was last out, struggled throughout the race, and finished sixth. Though this was the last race for Alberto Delgado as the horse's jockey, Sherman viewed the colt's "rough trips" in perspective, stating that California Chrome was still growing and learning how to be a race horse.

In the fall of 2013, 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 within a couple of months became the horse's morning exercise rider, even after Alberto was taken off the horse. In December, California Chrome was switched to a new type of horseshoe. Then the horse returned to Hollywood Park for his final race of 2013. He had a lighter impost of 119 pounds (54 kg), a shorter distance of seven furlongs, and a new jockey, Victor Espinoza. Espinoza, who won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem, rode California Chrome to win the King Glorious Stakes on December 22 by 6+1⁄4 lengths. The horse was, incidentally, the final stakes winner at Hollywood Park Racetrack, which held its last races that day. Sherman was impressed with the way Espinoza rode the colt, and Espinoza was impressed in turn with California Chrome. 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.

2014: Three-year-old season

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. Sherman noted that it was the second consecutive race where the horse pulled clear and won by a decisive margin, stating, "It's like the light bulb has gone on."

California Chrome's first graded stakes win was the March 8 Grade II San Felipe Stakes. Espinoza tried a different riding tactic and let him go to the lead right out of the gate. 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. Alan Sherman said, "My jaw dropped", while Art Sherman noted, "I'm glad I'm training at Los Alamitos, because he looked like a 350 horse coming out of the gate", a reference to Quarter Horse racing distances. 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." He later added, "I wanted to see if he go wire to wire ... that was the day I found out how much he loves to run." The San Felipe 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.

California Chrome's first Grade I win was the Santa Anita Derby on April 8. 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. 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. He defeated Rebel Stakes winner Hoppertunity, who came in second, and another 3+1⁄2 lengths back was another future Kentucky Derby contender, Candy Boy.

"They would need to sprout wings to get to California Chrome."

California Chrome's time of 1:47.52 earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 107, the fastest for any horse in the final prep races of 2014. It was also the fourth fastest time in the history of the Santa Anita Derby; the only horses to run faster were Lucky Debonair, Sham, and Indian Charlie. The 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. After the Santa Anita Derby win, Sherman began to describe the colt as "my Swaps". 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."

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. Besides Swaps, the only other horses to win both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby were I'll Have Another, Sunday Silence, Winning Colors, Affirmed, and Majestic Prince. Nonetheless, Steve Coburn predicted that the horse was going to win. "I'm not being cocky, just positive", he said.

Prior to the Derby, Bob Baffert compared California Chrome to War Emblem, and commented, "As long as breaks and he's in the clear ... he just keeps going." 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." 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. There was also criticism that the colt had never raced outside California. In contrast to the critics, reports surfaced that the owners had turned down a new offer of $10 million.

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. Fisher was flown in to give him a new set of shoes. Critics commented that bringing the horse in late and not giving him a full workout on the track was a mistake, but Sherman's strategy was backed by Lukas, who said "working over the racetrack is way overrated." 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. He galloped on the track in following days, schooled in the saddling paddock, and became familiar with the starting gate. Willie Delgado later remarked that the horse did not particularly like the track, saying "he never actually felt comfortable on it."

California Chrome's connections drew post position five for the race. He was the morning line favorite at odds of 5–2. The press suggested that the number five spot, relatively close to the inside rail, could be a problem owing to the "speed horses" that would go to the front early in the race, surrounding him on both sides, combined with colt's past tendency to be slow out of the gate. Espinoza countered by pointing out that he won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem from the same post position.

In the race, California Chrome had a clean start and could have taken the lead, but Espinoza kept 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, narrowing his winning margin to 1+3⁄4 lengths. Sherman later explained that Espinoza was "saving something for the next one", a reference to the Preakness Stakes two weeks later. The winning time of 2:03.66 was relatively slow for a Kentucky Derby, but Sherman described Espinoza's ride as "picture perfect". This win was Espinoza's second Derby victory, and 77-year-old Sherman became the oldest trainer to ever win the race. Previously, Charlie Whittingham held the record when at age 76 he trained Sunday Silence to win the 1989 Kentucky Derby.

In a post-race press interview, Sherman said 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 that 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." Dallas Stewart later admitted, "Oh, yeah, I was wrong."

Preakness Stakes

California Chrome shipped via air to Baltimore for the 2014 Preakness Stakes with the only other two horses from the Derby that would run in the Preakness: Ride On Curlin and General a Rod. Just as before the Derby, the horse galloped on the Pimlico track, but had no timed workouts. In his daily exercise, California Chrome seemed to like the track, 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. Sherman did not like that 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 (16 kg) by Preakness day.

News stories prior to the Preakness 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. Manny Azpurua, 85-year-old 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." Sherman responded, "He's got enough lick that he can stay with any horse in the race. He likes a target to run at." California Chrome was assigned the number three post position and was the morning line odds-on favorite at 3–5. Sherman was not troubled by the inside spot. Followers noted that Secretariat had also run the 1973 Preakness Stakes from the number three post. Owner Coburn was optimistic: "One race at a time, but I'm still thinking Triple Crown."

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. The intense press attention paid to the relatively minor issue was dismissively dubbed "throat-gate" by sportswriter Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times.

"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 ... but we just hope that this horse is letting America know that the little guy can win."

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." 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, 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." Espinoza's rides in the Derby and Preakness were described as "flawless", and the press noted the special affinity between the horse and jockey.

Sherman said California Chrome was "tired" after the race " 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 fend off two challengers in the homestretch. 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), had run three different horses against California Chrome, and stated, "he's super the real deal"; "e's just a remarkable athlete ... e's doing it with ease. None of his races have taxed him." 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." In post-race interviews, Coburn stated that California Chrome had become "America's Horse".

Belmont Stakes

The day after the Preakness, about 24 hours of press excitement erupted when Sherman commented that Martin might not let California Chrome run in the Belmont Stakes if the horse was not allowed to wear a nasal strip as he had in his previous six races. Nasal strips may reduce airway resistance, the risk of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), and aid post-race recovery. They are not considered performance-enhancing. Prior to the 2012 Belmont Stakes, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) stewards had refused to allow I'll Have Another to wear one. 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. Sherman submitted a formal request for permission to use them, and 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. Fans began to appear at the races wearing human nasal strips or purple band-aids across their noses. For Belmont day, Santa Anita Park created a promotion, giving fans at that track human-sized purple nasal strips with the word "Chrome" on the front. The manufacturer of the human Breathe Right nasal strip, GlaxoSmithKline, planned to give away 50,000 of them at Belmont Park.

California Chrome shipped to New York on May 20 in a semi-trailer horse van together with Ride On Curlin. A police escort shadowed them through New York City from the Throgs Neck Bridge to Belmont Park. Barn space made available for them by local trainer Jimmy Toner. The first week California Chrome spent at the Belmont track was generally uneventful, other than galloping by an opossum that wandered onto the track the morning of May 23. The horse paid little attention to it, but the press pounced on the event; the animal was dubbed "Dumb-Ass Possum", and someone created a Twitter account for the creature. In search of interesting stories, the press even ran a piece on the Toner stable's barn cat, Mademoiselle.

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). He galloped daily for up to 2 miles (3.2 km) 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." 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." Fisher flew to New York to put on a new set of horseshoes, and Espinoza arrived to give the colt a short 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 ran a half-mile (0.80 km) 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."

Eleven horses entered the Belmont Stakes, and California Chrome drew post position 2, which was also the post position of Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont. Ride On Curlin and General a Rod also entered; these were the only other horses besides California Chrome 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, Commissioner, Matterhorn, and Matuszak. Tonalist and Commissioner had run first and second at Belmont Park in the Peter Pan Stakes on May 10. Matterhorn had run fourth in that race. 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. Sherman was comfortable with the inside draw, believing it would help the horse save ground in the long race.

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." 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 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."

"hen I think back ... the one image that will last forever will be of an exhausted colt walking back through the tunnel with a bloodstained foot, his head down and breathing hard, and every vein protruding from his sweat-soaked body. He had given every ounce of himself, and with it all, still was beaten only 1+3⁄4 lengths."

On race day, Espinoza felt something was off when California Chrome did not break boldly, and later explained that he held the horse back a bit instead of going to the lead. Midway through the race, he went to the outside for running room, but the horse did not unleash his usual burst of speed. "I noticed as soon as he came out of the gate that he was not the same, he was just a little bit empty today", Espinoza said. Tonalist won the race, Commissioner was second, Medal Count was third, and California Chrome finished fourth in a dead heat with Wicked Strong. Initial post-race analysts criticized Espinoza for not taking the horse to the front and thought that California Chrome had stepped on his own feet, or "grabbed a quarter" in equestrian parlance, as he had some blood on his right front heel. After the race, further review of photos taken at the start showed that the horse next to him, Matterhorn, moved in and accidentally stepped on California Chrome's heel as both horses broke from the gate. As a result, California Chrome had run the race with a "chunk" of tissue taken out of his right front heel and also had a small cut on his tendon. Sherman was relieved that the tendon injury was superficial, and when asked if the heel injury had cost the horse a chance to win, replied, "It couldn't have helped him any." Sherman explained that he saw the horse throw his head up in the homestretch and knew that something was not right. He later speculated that the sand and dirt of the racetrack were causing pain in the open wound.

Sherman assured the press that both injuries would heal up, and that the heel injury was, luckily, not a quarter crack in the hoof. He commented, "Hey listen, we'll be here to fight another day, I'm just happy he's all in one piece." California Chrome returned to Los Alamitos where Sherman's crew treated the wound for about 10 days, but after that, they sent California Chrome to be turned out on pasture for several weeks. Sherman explained, " 'Chrome' is going to have a needed rest; it's been a tough campaign for him", and added "Hey listen, we'll be here to fight another day, I'm just happy he's all in one piece." On June 18, the horse was shipped to his home at Harris Farms. His foot was already healing well, and once at Harris farms he settled in and gained weight during his "vacation".

California Chrome was the top-ranked three-year-old in the nation by the NTRA in its post-race poll of June 9, 2014, in spite of his Belmont loss, and was fifth-ranked among American horses of all ages. In the June 12 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, he was ranked fifth in the world, one point behind the only American-based horse rated higher, Santa Anita Handicap winner Game On Dude, who was tied for third. The next goal for the horse will be to run in the Breeders' Cup in November with a prep race before then, probably in September. Art Sherman anticipates that California Chrome will continue to race as a four-year-old.

Fans and publicity

"Chromies"

"This one disappointment should not overshadow in any way what he gave the entire country and the electricity he created during those five magical weeks. The drama that is the Triple Crown has become more Shakespearean than anything else."

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 into the area, including one woman dressed entirely in metallic foil. "Fans are coming out of nowhere", said Perry Martin. An unofficial Twitter account for the horse, @CalChrome, was started by a 37-year-old fan from Florida, Shawn LaFata, after the San Felipe Stakes. The account had over 12,000 followers by Belmont week, and LaFata believes the word "Chromies" was first used on that account eight nights before the Kentucky Derby. The New York Times noted the enthusiasm of fans at the Kentucky Derby and that supporters had become known as "Chromies". The hashtag #Chromies was used by fans to identify themselves on Twitter. The humble origins of the horse and all the people around him played a role in his popularity, as did the horse's people-focused attitude. As Alan Sherman explained, "He's a ham, he loves the cameras"; his behavior prompted his exercise rider, Willie Delgado, to give him an additional nickname, "Vogue". 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; the Sacramento television market ranked sixth in the nation for television viewership on Preakness day, and third in the nation on Belmont day. Locals also liked that purple was both a color on the horse's racing silks and the team colors of the Sacramento Kings. 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". A rap video featuring a group of elementary school children singing about the horse was released on YouTube. Even after his loss, Harris Farms fielded many calls every day from fans wanting to visit the horse while he had a break from racing in June and July of 2014.

In contrast to his admirers, the horse's image was somewhat diminished by the negative criticism that followed Coburn's post-Belmont comments. Even before the Belmont, some commentators such as NPR's Frank Deford had little patience for how the horse's story invoked the American dream of success from a modest beginning. DeFord felt 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. Others argued that the press the horse received was a boost to the sport. Jockey Gary Stevens, a former sports analyst, noted prior to the Belmont, "I haven't heard Thoroughbred horse racing mentioned on CNN for a long time, and it was right at the top of the hour ... He's brought us mainstream again for the first time in a lot of years." The press post-Belmont analysis contended that California Chrome was the most popular Thoroughbred in America since Zenyatta.

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 another misspelled cloth along with a properly spelled version.

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. 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. Skechers ran a half page ad in the Wall Street Journal at the end of June, congratulating the horse on his success. Working with the intellectual property attorney who had brokered publicity deals for Smarty Jones, they also gained an endorsement deal with Breathe Right nasal strips.

Statistics

Pedigree

California Chrome's sire, Lucky Pulpit, and his dam, Love the Chase, both raced primarily over short distances and had relatively undistinguished racing careers. Many of their ancestors were successful on the track, however, and some were well known for stamina over distance. As of 2014 Lucky Pulpit has sired three other stakes winners: Rousing Sermon, who was a California Champion Two-Year-Old colt, plus the geldings Luckarack, a multiple stakes winner, and Gatheratthealter. Lucky Pulpit was sired by Pulpit, who is credited with 63 stakes winners and particularly known for his son Tapit. The sire line of these stallions traces to Bold Ruler, considered one of the greatest North American sires of the 20th century, and ultimately to the Darley Arabian through Eclipse. Bold Ruler's great-grandson was 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, and Seattle Slew's best son, 1992 Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic winner A. P. Indy, is the sire of Pulpit. 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's breeding. 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. California Chrome is the second Kentucky Derby winner in a row who is a sire-line descendant of Seattle Slew, following Orb in 2013. 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. The Irish-bred Caro also sired 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors.

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. 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 that mare also traces to the UK-bred Ribot, viewed by some as the greatest racehorse of his generation, and to Princequillo, who was noted for his stamina. Princequillo also appears several times in Lucky Pulpit's pedigree. 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, 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. The Buckpasser line has been considered another good bloodline to crossbreed with horses descended from Seattle Slew. Numbered Account was also a granddaughter of Swaps, and traces to La Troienne and War Admiral on both sides of her pedigree. Numbered Account is in the pedigree of another Kentucky Derby winner: Super Saver, who won in 2010. Love the Chase's tail-female line is one of the oldest in North America. Through a mare named Selima, who was by the Godolphin Arabian and imported to the Province of Maryland between 1750 and 1752, the line ultimately traces to Thoroughbred family 21, which began with the Moonah Barb Mare, who was imported from Barbary to England in utero about 1700.

California Chrome has relatively little inbreeding; he is 4 × 3 to Mr Prospector, meaning that this ancestor appears once in the third and once in the fourth generations of his pedigree. He is also 4 × 4 to Numbered Account and 4 × 5 to Northern Dancer. As one pedigree analyst phrased it, California Chrome's breeders "hit ... the genetic lottery that paid off."

† indicates inbreeding

Notes

1. The shorter marking on the left front leg is technically a partial stocking, as the high white only extends up the back half of the leg.
2. The horse also eats normal meals of hay and grain.
3. For hometowns of owners and roles of Denise Martin and Carolyn Coburn, see; for ownership and breeder information, see.
4. Martin Testing Laboratories is a division of Materials Technology Laboratories, Inc.
5. With the success of California Chrome in 2014, Lucky Pulpit's stud fee was raised to $10,000.
6. Baffert trained War Emblem to win the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Espinoza as jockey.
7. The issue was of no actual impact due to I'll Have Another pulling out the day before the race due to injury.
8. Each again with new jockeys.

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Sources

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• Drape, Joe (2002). The Race for the Triple Crown: Horses, High Stakes, and Eternal Hope (reprint ed.). Grove Press. ISBN 9780802196453.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

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• HRTV Presents California Chrome (online video). HRTV.com. June 1, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.

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• Penna, Mike (April 5, 2014). Alan Sherman Interview – April 5, 2014 (Podcast). Horse Racing Radio Network.

External links

• "Growing Up California Chrome", video of young horse
• Photo of post- Belmont hoof injury of California Chrome,and close-up
• Daily Racing Form photo of Matterhorn and California Chrome at start

• 2011 racehorse births
• American Grade 1 Stakes winners
• American racehorses
• Kentucky Derby winners
• Preakness Stakes winners
• Racehorses bred in California
• Thoroughbred family 21
• Thoroughbred racehorses
• Racehorses trained in the United States