The People's Horses: Part IV a, California Chrome

The People’s Horses, part IV a
California Chrome

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is part a. of the conclusion of my series on racehorses that have attracted wide followings based on their underdog background and their “little guy” human connections. Previous parts have looked at Carry Back, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones. Here I will examine the first two years of the racing career of, perhaps, the quintessential “people’s horse”- California Chrome.

The stuff of dreams - California Chrome was owned by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn in a partnership called DAP Racing (as in Dum Ass Partners Racing).  Martin is an applied physicist who runs a testing company while Coburn, the more outgoing, has been in various occupations including herding cattle. The partners bred the only mare they owned, Love the Chase, to the stallion Lucky Pulpit whose stud fee was $2,500. What Martin and Corburn got in 2011 was a stocky bright chestnut with white markings. Trained by veteran Art Sherman, California Chrome had an old school two-year-old campaign, starting in April at Hollywood Park in a 4½ furlong maiden race for California born foals. Finishing second, he would break his maiden in his second start in an identical race. Winning the restricted Graduation Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack, California Chrome then finished sixth but was beaten only a total of 2 lengths in the Del Mar Futurity. In his last start of 2013, he showed marked improvement under new rider Victor Espinoza winning the King Glorious Stakes by 6¼ lengths in a sharp final time.

At the start of 2014, California Chrome was already developing a devoted fan base. The bright chestnut with white blaze and white stocking feet started the year with a dominant win against Cal-breds in the California Cup Derby. He then ventured into open company in the San Felipe Stakes, where California Chrome led all the way for a 7¼ length victory in a sparkling final time. “Chrome”, as he was nicknamed, was compared favorably with Swaps, the greatest Cal-bred of all time, by his trainer Art Sherman who incredibly had served as Swaps’ exercise rider in the 1950’s.

In the Santa Anita Derby, California Chrome faced a field of seven rivals including the Robert B. Lewis Stakes victor Candy Boy and the Bob Baffert trained Hoppertunity who had won the Rebel Stakes in Arkansas in his previous race. Slightly bobbling at the start, California Chrome assumed a forward position by the first turn tracking the maiden Dublin Up. As the field headed for the far turn, Chrome went up to challenge the pace setter, but Candy Boy and Hoppertunity seemed poised just behind. However, as the field straightened out for the stretch run, Espinoza asked his mount for some run, and Chrome eagerly responded, putting distance between him and his pursuers. At the finish, California Chrome was an eased down 5¼ lengths ahead of Hoppertunity who was 3½ lengths in front of third finishing Candy Boy. The final time was excellent, and hopes were high for the Kentucky Derby. Not only did Chrome’s ownership team of Coburn and Martin predict a Derby victory but a Triple Crown sweep as well. These very un-aristocratic owners also revealed they had turned down a $6 million offer for 51% of California Chrome when the would-be buyer would not agree that Sherman remain the trainer. Thus, the horse continued to race in their purple and green DAP silks (with donkey drawn on the back of the rider’s jacket). 

All signs seem to point to California Chrome as the year’s Kentucky Derby hero. From the verve he showed in his training moves at Los Alamitos Racecourse in California where he was treated as a home town hero, to the withdrawal of Hoppertunity, seen by some as Chrome’s main opposition, due to an injury, this seemed to be Chrome’s Derby to lose. There were some doubts about California Chrome’s genetic makeup as regards its proclivity at the 1¼ mile Derby distance, but his ability to relax seemed to overcome that liability. At post time, he was the solid favorite with Wicked Strong, Danza, winner of the Arkansas Derby, and Candy Boy the only others at single digit odds in the nineteen horse field.

Under a perfect ride by Victor Espinoza, California Chrome assumed a forward position heading down the stretch the first time. He was tucked in third place around the clubhouse turn, but brought to the outside down the backstretch. A moderate pace was set by Uncle Sigh and Chitu. Around the far turn, Espinoza asked his mount to join the leaders as Samraat mounted a challenge from the outside. Just before the stretch, there were four runners across the track, but once in the straight it was all California Chrome as he bounded to the front establishing at one point a 5 length lead. Near the finish, Espinoza started easing him up so that at the wire, California Chrome was 1¾ lengths in front of longshot Commanding Curve. Danza also closed some ground to finish third, another 1¼ lengths further back, and Wicked Strong was fourth. The final time was on the slow side for a surface labeled fast.

California Chrome winning the 2014 Kentucky Derby
(Morry Gash/Associated Press)

The improbable dream had come true for Steve Coburn and Perry Martin and their one horse stable. Chrome’s affable conditioner Art Sherman, at 77 years, the oldest Derby winning trainer, who along with his son Alan, had taken this colt from obscurity to stardom, was the media darling in terms of his accessibility, humility and honesty. Victor Espinoza, who had ridden 2001 Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem, was in the midst of a career rejuvenation. For all involved, it was on to the Preakness Stakes.

The ten horse field for the second jewel of the Triple Crown had only California Chrome, Ride On Curlin (who finished seventh) and General a Rod (eleventh) as Derby alumni. Speedster Social Inclusion was entered as well as Bayern, a Bob Baffert trainee, who had in his short career finished third in the Arkansas Derby and most recently was demoted to second for interference after finishing first in the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs. 

Chrome went off the 1-2 favorite, and he ran a very similar race as in the Kentucky Derby. After a slight bobble at the start, he assumed third position on the outside down the backstretch as longshot Pablo Del Monte and the filly Ria Antonia vied for the lead. Around the turn, Espinoza again sent Chrome to challenge the leaders. He was joined on the outside by Social Inclusion who had been expected to set the pace. What looked like a good stretch duel dissipated quickly as Social Inclusion could not keep pace with California Chrome. Instead it was Ride On Curlin who made a stern challenge to the Derby winner, but under Espinoza’s urging, California Chrome held sway by 1¾ lengths. Social Inclusion held on to third place 6½ lengths further back but a head in front of General a Rod. Bayern was a non-factor in finishing ninth. The final time was good, and Chrome’s last 3/16 of a mile was run in a very respectable 19.19 seconds.

Now one step away from racing immortality, the fantasy was still alive for Chrome’s colorful and likeable connections. However, history was not on California Chrome’s side as a Triple Crown had not been won in 36 years, and there had been several outstanding horses who were in Chrome’s position that were unable to accomplish the feat.

Ten horses lined up to challenge the Triple Crown aspirant in the Belmont Stakes. Included were both Commanding Curve and Ride On Curlin, second place finishers in Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, respectively. The public made California Chrome the odds-on favorite, but Wicked Strong was the clear second choice. A horse that was attracting some attention, albeit at 9-1, was Robert S. Evans’ Tonalist, a handsome well conformed son of Tapit from a strong female family. Bypassing the first two classics, Tonalist prepped for the Belmont Stakes with an impressive 4 length victory in the 9 furlong Peter Pan Stakes defeating another Belmont participant in Commissioner.

From his no. 2 post position, California Chrome once again stumbled slightly at the start but advanced quickly along the inside to contend for the lead heading for the clubhouse turn. Around that turn, Espinoza took his mount back as Commissioner galloped to the lead with General a Rod in second and Chrome along the inside in third place. Just to Chrome’s outside was Tonalist who assumed a stalking position under Joel Rosario. The fractions were steady as Javier Castellano on Commissioner tried to take advantage of his mount’s stamina to control the race. Around the sweeping far turn, Tonalist went up to challenge, as Espinoza, knowing California Chrome’s tendency to race best on the outside, swung wide. At the top of the stretch, the race looked wide open with Commissioner clinging to the lead and General a Rod, Tonalist and California Chrome making challenges. In the stretch, Chrome just could not sustain his bid, and the race fell between Commissioner and Tonalist. At the finish, Tonalist prevailed by a head over the former. In third place, another length behind was Medal Count with California Chrome another ¾ of a length behind, dead heating with Wicked Strong for fourth place.

As in all failed Triple Crown bids, the response after the race was muted, and many in attendance were upset. In a break from tradition, Steve Coburn, co-owner of California Chrome did not take his horse’s defeat graciously but complained to all who would listen the unfairness of the Triple Crown series that allows horses like Tonalist (and Commissioner) to compete in the Belmont Stakes without running in the other classics. That said, there was a lot to like about the Belmont winner in that Tonalist’s dam sire, Pleasant Colony, was raced by Thomas Mellon Evans, the father of Tonalist’s owner. In another subtext, Pleasant Colony in 1981 was trying to complete the Triple Crown only to finish third in the Belmont to longshot Summing.

California Chrome took most of the summer off as his connections aimed for a fall campaign that would culminate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic held this year at Santa Anita Park on November 1^st. He was shipped back east for his first start since the Belmont Stakes to contest the Pennsylvania Derby. However, he drew (what for him) was considered the unfavorable no. 1 post and, trapped on the inside, showed no punch in the stretch in finishing sixth beaten over 7 lengths. Bayern (who would be known as an all or nothing horse) jumped out to an early lead and with no early challengers roared to a 5¾ length victory in track record time.

All the leading three-year-olds were entered in the Classic. Shared Belief, 2013 Two-Year-Old Champion, Derby and Preakness hero California Chrome, Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and major stakes victors Bayern and V. E. Day all had showed top form at least some time this year. The still undefeated Shared Belief was installed the favorite over California Chrome and Tonalist. The Derby and Preakness winner was training strongly at his home base at Los Alamitos and was assigned, for him, a favorable outside post position.

What transpired in the running of the Classic did not crown a champion but produced one of the most controversial decisions in Breeders’ Cup history. Bayern broke inward from his no. 7 post position impeding Shared Belief who, in turn, bumped the speedy Moreno. As a result, Moreno was shuffled back, allowing Bayern to gain an uncontested lead. Shared Belief’s troubles were not over because after having being impeded at the start, he nearly clipped heels with a horse in the run to the clubhouse turn forcing jockey Mike Smith to steady his mount. The rest of the race was a merry-go-round with Bayern, the internationally raced Toast of New York and California Chrome unchanged in the first three positions the entire race. In the stretch, both Toast of New York and Chrome drove up to Bayern, but he just held on, finishing a nose in front the game English invader with the double classic winner a neck further behind. Finishing fourth in a heroic effort after all that happened at the beginning was Shared Belief, 3½ lengths behind the top trio. Tonalist, who could not make up significant ground on the speed favoring Santa Anita track, finished fifth. Moreno, completely taken out of his usual pace setting role by the bumping, finished fourteenth.

A long stewards’ inquiry resulted in no change in the order. With a chorus of boos descending from the stands, Bayern’s owner Kaleem Shah, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Martin Garcia mutually accepted the Breeders’ Cup Classic trophy.

With three-year-old champion male and Horse of the Year honors still unsettled due to the Classic controversy, California Chrome’s team ran their star again before year’s end in the 9 furlong Hollywood Derby run on turf at Del Mar. Ostensibly, Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman wanted to see if his colt could handle a grass surface in preparation for a trip to Royal Ascot next year, but he also picked a relatively soft spot to enhance Chrome’s 2014 resume. Before an adoring crowd at Del Mar of “Chromies”, California Chrome did not disappoint, gliding to a 2 length victory. Whether this additional victory was enough to put California Chrome over the top in Eclipse voting cannot be ascertained, but the result was what his connections desired in that the charismatic Cal-bred chestnut was named both Champion Three-Year-Old Male and Horse of the Year.

(To be continued in part IV b.)