California Chrome Draws The 13 In Breeders’ Cup Classic

California Chrome Set For Breeders’ Cup Classic

By: Claudia Lorena

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner California Chrome has experienced a couple of set backs since his attempt at the Triple Crown on June 7th. His sixth place finish in last month’s Pennsylvania Derby may not have been what fans had hoped for, but the flat performance may have served as the perfect wake-up call for the colt who will break from post 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, this Saturday evening.

So what went wrong in the Pennsylvania Derby? For starters, the race was a tune-up to get Chrome ready for the Breeders’ Cup following his relaxing summer vacation, and the transition back turned out to be a bit rougher than expected.

“I wish I could have let him run a little more.” Victor Espinoza told the press. “But I think it was good he did not run too fast because he was not ready for that race.” As things unraveled on the Parx dirt and became too congested, “I wanted to make sure he came out of the race okay. At that point I was more worried about his safety than winning.”

Since his troubled start, the Cali-bred has been back on a normal training schedule and is working better than ever.

“He’s a bigger, stronger horse now,” explained Alan Sherman, who was thrilled about the colts efforts. “His last work was unbelievable and I think we’re going to see a very strong performance from him this weekend.”

Art Sherman could not have agreed more. “Being here reminds me of old times,” he reminisced in a chipper manner. “He had a three-win streak here at Santa Anita and he loves it here.” When asked how he felt with the post position, the head-trainer and ex-jockey was confident, “I love the post position.”

In fact, drawing the outside post seems to be more of a blessing than anything else. In his two most recent starts California Chrome has come right out of the inside and gotten stuck on the rail, so breaking from the outside should keep him from getting caught in tight quarters.

“He’s the kind of horse that needs to be able to run and see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Sherman senior emphasized. “If he gets stuck behind horses for too long he gets bored. But if he’s at the head of the stretch when they turn for home, he’s going to be tough to beat.” At the end of the day, winning is still the ultimate goal. Though Sherman is hoping for some redemption this weekend, he remains a great sport, “I am just happy to be here… At the end of it the best horse will prevail.”

Whether or not he has it in him to come out on top in a field that features such talent, seems to be the question everyone is asking. With the days drawing closer to the Classic there’s a lot of chatter in the Santa Anita air. While there are those that believe his glory days are long gone, there are others who have not lost hope and believe that, come Saturday, America’s horse will triumph once again.

Click here for official Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders and post positions.

Photo Credit: Melanie Martines