2014 Year in Review: California Chrome shines in both racing world and mainstream

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Whether it was the stewards ruling to let the result stand in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, jockey Rosie Napravnik’s impromptu announcement moments after the Breeders’ Cup Distaff that she was retiring, or a Massachusetts state gaming commission vote on a casino that now threatens to close Suffolk Downs – the last remaining major track in New England – choices were made in 2014 that reverberated through the sport.

The great race caller Tom Durkin decided to retire. Del Mar and Keeneland decided to do away with the synthetic surface Polytrack. Frank Stronach took over the lease of Calder – now Gulfstream Park West – from Churchill Downs. Every one marked a significant turning point.

But nothing crossed over to the mainstream quite like the decisions of those connected with California Chrome – ranging from choices on where, when, and how to train the colt, to how to act after losing the Triple Crown – or those of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, whose undercover video on trainer Steve Asmussen and his top assistant, Scott Blasi, caused a temporary tempest but has ultimately been exposed as a deceitfully edited piece of propaganda.

California Chrome became the most popular horse in training owing to his win streak, his eye-catching paint job – chestnut with generous streaks of white on his face and legs – and his breeders and owners, newcomers who lived the dream of every person connected to the sport.

:: VIDEO: Barbara D. Livingston's best photos and year in review

Perry Martin and Steve Coburn bred California Chrome from plebeian bloodlines, had faith from the beginning that the colt they nicknamed “Junior” was destined for greatness, and saw him develop into the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

His trainer, Art Sherman, was questioned over decisions to train California Chrome primarily at Los Alamitos, to not travel to Churchill Downs until the week of the Derby, and whether a scratchy throat the week of the Preakness would compromise his chances. Sherman proved that the 60 years he has spent on the racetrack – as an exercise rider, jockey, and trainer – had left him quite capable of making the right choices.

Sherman was proven correct yet again last month when he called an audible and ran California Chrome one last time in 2014, on turf, and watched him win the Hollywood Derby, a victory that may prove pivotal in voting for Eclipse Awards for champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year.

California Chrome failed to win the Belmont, after which Coburn had the meltdown heard ’round the world, saying those connected with the victorious Tonalist had taken “the coward’s way out” in the final leg of the Triple Crown. After doubling down the next morning, Coburn finally made a sober, tearful apology on “Good Morning America.”

3-year-olds dominate

The 3-year-old division provided much of the racing highlights of the year. California Chrome’s Triple Crown bid, combined with an outstanding supporting card at Belmont Park, produced a blockbuster handle of $150 million on that day’s card.

The Travers Stakes saw trainer Jimmy Jerkens finish one-two with V. E. Day and Wicked Strong, beating Tonalist.

Tonalist later won the Jockey Club Gold Cup, one of many fall races – like the Pacific Classic and Awesome Again – in which 3-year-olds stepped up and beat their elders.

No race was more emblematic of the strength of this year’s 3-year-olds than the Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which 3-year-olds took the first six spots. The race was controversial from the first jump, when Bayern turned left and caused a chain-reaction bumping incident that most notably impacted the previously unbeaten Shared Belief – the champion 2-year-old male of 2013 – who was bothered anew a furlong later when Toast of New York swerved left.

Bayern did hold off Toast of New York and California Chrome – neither involved in the incident at the start – and the three stewards at Santa Anita subsequently voted unanimously to let the result stand, giving Bayern another important victory in an ambitious campaign that also saw him win the Haskell, Woody Stephens, and Pennsylvania Derby.

Untapable struck a blow for 3-year-old fillies in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and provided a dramatic surprise when Napravnik minutes later announced she was pregnant and thus retiring. Untapable earlier in the year had won the Kentucky Oaks, an emotional win for Asmussen just weeks after the PETA tape was released. Blasi had been relieved of his duties prior to the Oaks, but was back in the fold for the Distaff.

Older horses come and go

There was no controversy about the best turf horse in the country, as Main Sequence won all four of his starts, all in Grade 1 races, concluding with the Breeders’ Cup Turf, to make him a serious candidate for Horse of the Year.

Wise Dan, the Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2013, provided one of the great comeback stories of the year when he returned from surgery in May and picked up right where he left off, winning races. A late-season injury kept him out of the Breeders’ Cup and likely short-circuited his chances of winning year-end titles for a third straight year.

Another oldie but goodie, Game On Dude, captured the Santa Anita Handicap for a record third time. Later in the year, he retired to Old Friends in Kentucky. Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens, in the midst of his comeback, had to step aside for knee-replacement surgery, then amazed everyone yet again by returning months later.

Jockey Alex Solis, trainer Gary Jones, the filly Ashado, and two-time Horse of the Year Curlin became the latest members of the Hall of Fame. Asmussen, Curlin’s trainer, was an original finalist, but was pulled from the ballot by the Hall of Fame owing to the PETA video controversy.

There was no better dirt horse the first half of the year than Palace Malice, the 2013 Belmont winner, whose best race was the Metropolitan Handicap on the Belmont undercard, in which he beat the brilliant Goldencents, who later won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for the second straight year.

In Canada, the filly Lexie Lou won the Queen’s Plate, giving perennial Canadian training champ Mark Casse his first win in that prestigious race.

Casse later in the year decamped to Del Mar, which had a tumultuous summer meeting punctuated by equine deaths and a suspension of racing on turf. Del Mar came back with a fall meeting that was a success on all levels, from safety (no deaths) to great turf racing topped by California Chrome’s victory in the Hollywood Derby.

A previous Kentucky Derby winner, Silver Charm, was repatriated from Japan and retired to Old Friends, joining other newcomers like Game On Dude and Amazombie. Michael Blowen, who founded and runs Old Friends, was given overdue recognition earlier this month when it was announced Old Friends would receive a Special Eclipse Award for his efforts.

Notable passings

The bloodstock market continued its powerful resurgence, with broodmares, yearlings, and 2-year-olds in training all doing robust business.

The sport lost numerous significant figures this year, none more tragically than apprentice jockey Juan Saez, who was killed in an accident at Indiana Grand. Former jockeys Joe Aitcheson Jr. and Pete Moreno; owners Nelson Bunker Hunt, Aaron Jones, Herman Sarkowsky, Clarence Scharbauer Jr., James Tafel, and Ralph Wilson; trainers Bill Currin, Jacque Fulton, Dominic Galluscio, Richard Small, and Tom Voss; veterinarians Dr. Doug Byars and Dr. Jack Robbins; linemaker Chuck Streva; journalists Dale Austin, Art Grace, Don Grisham, Dan Johnson, and Vic Zast; prominent horseplayers Mike Mayo and Ron Rippey; and fans like actor Mickey Rooney were among the many who also sadly passed.

Owner and horseplayer Dan Borislow, who ran as hard as his horses, hit the Rainbow 6 at Gulfstream for $6 million, and two months later died of a heart attack.

	Date	Name	Age	Description	Place of death	Cause
January	13-Jan	Bill Bork	80	racing executive	Reading, Pa.
	21-Jan	Thomas H. Voss	63	trainer	Monkton, Md.
February	3-Feb	Joy Gilbert	54	equine photographer	Lexington, Ky.
	7-Feb	J. Mack Robinson	90	owner/breeder		Alzheimer’s disease
	11-Feb	Don Everett	70	owner/breeder	Lincoln, Neb.	Alzheimer’s disease
	11-Feb	William Currin	77	owner/trainer/breeder	Solano Beach, Calif.	heart-related causes
	20-Feb	Melanie Walters	37	trainer	Langley, British Columbia	training accident
	21-Feb	Clarence Scharbauer Jr.	88	owner/breeder	Midland, Texas	complications from stomach surgery
	25-Feb	Norton “Norm” Schmitt	77	jockey agent	Westlake, Ohio
March	11-Mar	Richard Bomze	76	New York breeder	Hollywood, Fla.
	13-Mar	Arnold Heft	94	owner	Bethesda, Md.
	17-Mar	Dominic Galluscio	55	trainer	New York
	25-Mar	Ralph Wilson	95	breeder	New York
	28-Mar	Harry Hubbard Johnson Jr.	27	shed foreman	Kentucky
April	2-Apr	Lathrop Hoffman	89	owner	California
	4-Apr	Dickie Small	68	trainer	Maryland
	7-Apr	Barbara LaCroix	82	farm owner	Florida
	8-Apr	Dr. Charles Fager	90	namesake of Dr. Fager	Massachusetts
	9-Apr	Joe Aquilino	76	trainer	New York
	16-Apr	Joey DiAngelo	69	jockeys’ agent	New Jersey
	17-Apr	Art Grace	88	reporter	Florida
	20-Apr	Bobby Abbo	70	owner	Washington, D.C.
	24-Apr	Jerry Meaux	74	chairman of the Louisiana Racing Commission	Louisiana
June	12-Jun	Jerrold Schwartz	79	Owner/Breeder
	24-Jun	Mourad Boudraa	41	Morrocan exercise rider	Etobicoke, Ontario	Training accident
	25-Jun	James Tafel	90	Owner and Breeder	Village of Golf, Fla.
	25-Jun	Jacques Dumas	74	Trainer	Montreal, CAN	Natural causes
July	2-Jul	Victor Heerman Jr.	89	Bloodstock agent	Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
	6-Jul	Fred Grossman	86	Editor-in-chief of DRF during heyday in 70's and 80s	Monroe Township, N.J.
	7-Jul	T. Douglas Byars	70	Equine vet	Georgetown, Ky.
	21-Jul	Dan Borislow	52	Owner and Entrepreneur	West Palm Beach, Fla.	Heart attack
	28-Jul	George M. Baker	83	Trainer	Louisville, Ky.
August	11-Aug	Seth Van Dyke	43	Jockey	Florida	Suicide
	15-Aug	Chuck Streva	56	Chart caller	Miami	Illness
	26-Aug	Ron Rippey	70	National Handicapping Championship winner	Philadelphia	Illness
	21-Aug	David P. Holloway	83	Owner, breeder	Kentucky	Illness
	21-Aug	Sir Eric Parker	81	Owner, breeder	England	Cancer
September	3-Sep	Sandy Lovato		Therapeutic riding instructor		Car accident
	5-Sep	Juan Vasquez	39	Exercise rider, part-time trainer	Elmont, N.Y.	Training accident
	18-Sep	Mike Mayo	59	National Handicapping Championshop committee chairman	Texas	Cancer
	22-Sep	Aaron Jones	92	Owner, breeder		Natural causes
	25-Sep	Gaston Galjour	84	Racetrack video, sound pioneer	Metairie, La.
October	13-Oct	Carly-Mae Pye	26	Jockey	Australia	Training accident
	14-Oct	Juan Saez	17	Apprentice rider	Indianappolis	Racing accident
	15-Oct	Caitlin Forrest	19	Apprentice rider	Australia	Racing accident
	19-Oct	Larry Uelman	66	Trainer, breeder, jockey's agent	Michigan
	21-Oct	Nelson Bunker Hunt	88	Owner-breeder	Dallas	Alzheimer's disease
November	4-Nov	Jacque Fulton	60	Trainer	Phonex, Ariz.	Alzheimer's disease
	29-Nov	Jack Robbins	93	Veterinarian	Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.	Pulmonary disease
December	1-Dec	Sam Lato Sr.	71	Steward	Houston, Texas	Cancer
	12-Dec	Derek Ball	65	Owner	Canada

Among the equines who passed were two-time Horse of the Year Cigar, as well as fellow Breeders’ Cup winners My Flag, Prized, Safely Kept, and St Nicholas Abbey; champion Sunshine Forever; Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry; Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando; Belmont winners Commendable and Jazil; the great steeplechaser Flatterer; and, elegiacally, both High Chaparral and Johar, who finished in a dead heat for the win in the 2003 Breeders’ Cup Turf. Racehorses who perished while still in training this year included Bond Holder, Caixa Eletronica, Dance With Fate, Delegation, Intense Holiday, Onlyforyou, and Vagabond Shoes.

	Date	Horse Name	Age	Place of death	Cause
January	2-Jan	Shand	4	Arcadia, Calif.	Euthanized
	2-Jan	Uncle Smokey	6	Ozone Park, N.Y.	Euthanized
	4-Jan	Caixa Eletronica	9	Elmont, N.Y.	fractured skull
	4-Jan	Six Drivers	4	Elmont, N.Y.	fractured neck
	6-Jan	Patton	23	Lexington, Ky.	euthanized
	7-Jan	Sunshine Forever	29	Georgetown, Ky.
	7-Jan	Laughing	6	New Jersey	colic
	14-Jan	St Nicholas Abbey	7	County Tripperary, Ireland	euthanized
	16-Jan	Tiger Ridge	18	South Africa	heart attack
	22-Jan	Wando	14	Nobleton, Ontario	heart attack
	22-Jan	Afleet	30	Japan
February	4-Feb	General Challenge	18	Ramona, Calif.	euthanized
	7-Feb	Chriselliam	3	Newmarket, England	euthanized
	17-Feb	He’s Not too Shaby	4	Arcadia, Calif.	euthanized
	25-Feb	Urbane	22
	February	The Usual Q. T.	8	California	euthanized
	February	Unbridled Belle	11	Japan	foaling complications
March	7-Mar	The Name’s Jimmy	25	Kentucky	euthanized
	15-Mar	Itsagoodtendollars	8	New York	cardiovascular collapse
	15-Mar	Onlyforyou	3	Florida	euthanized
	22-Mar	Vagabond Shoes	7	California	euthanized
	March	Bertrando	25	California	old age
	31-Mar	Willow Woodman	23		old age
April	1-Apr	Mutakddim	23	Buenos Aires	old age
	4-Apr	Bull Inthe Heather	24	Kentucky	euthanized, old age
	5-Apr	Azamour	13	Ireland	injured
	12-Apr	My Flag	21	Kentucky	euthanized, foaling complications
	22-Apr	Safely Kept	28	Kentucky	euthanized, old age
	24-Apr	Flatterer	35	Pennsylvania	euthanized, old age
May	1-May	Tribal Rule	18	California	heart attack
June	2-Jun	Wekiva Springs	23	Ocala, Fla.	Euthanized
	12-Jun	Intense Holiday	3	Cream Ridge, NJ	Euthanized
	24-Jun	Tawney's Wish	3	Etobicoke, Ontario	Heart attack
	25-Jun	Roses for Romney	4	Elmont, Ny.	Euthanized
	28-Jun	Apropos	5	Arlington Heights, Ill.	Reared in stall
July	5-Jul	Secret Heart	15	Paris, Ky.	Found dead in stall
	6-Jul	Lammtarra	22	Newmarket, England	Old age
	12-Jul	Chief Barker	3	Arlington Heights, Ill.	Euthanized
	13-Jul	Prized	28	Georgetown, Ky.	Euthanized
	13-Jul	Corlett Drive	4	Del Mar, Calif.	Heart attack
	25-Jul	Yes She's Unusual	4	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
	25-Jul	Longview Drive	5	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
	25-Jul	Beau Genius	29	Ramona, Calif.	Euthanized
	26-Jul	Dance With Fate	3	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
	26-Jul	J Kat	3	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
	26-Jul	Lil Swiss Echo	5	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
	27-Jul	Chilled Mouse	2	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
August	14-Aug	Serious	4	Del Mar, Calif.	Euthanized
	20-Aug	Russian Rhythm	14		Euthanized
September		Street Cry	16		Euthanized
October	7-Oct	Cigar	24	Lexington, Ky.	Surgery complications
	11-Oct	Jazil	11	Lexington, Ky.	Paddock accident
	14-Oct	Platitude	4	Indianappolis	Euthanized
	14-Oct	Masaru	4	Indianappolis	Euthanized
December	2-Dec	Fast Bullet	6	Versailles, Ky.	Euthanized
	3-Dec	Princes On Thelake	4	New York, NY	Racing breakdown
	4-Dec	Hurta	11	Cicero, Ill.	Euthanized
	21-Dec	A.P. Slew	15	Lexington, Ky.	Euthanized following colic surgery
	22-Dec	Kiri's Clown	25	Lexington, Ky.	Euthanized due to colic surgery complications