California Chrome continues to take Sherman to uncharted territory

CYPRESS, Calif. – Belmont Stakes Week of 2014 was a media whirlwind for a California man who least expected such events in his life.

Art Sherman, the trainer of California Chrome, has spent his life in racing, but until that spring, and especially that week, he had never been at the center of attention in the sport.

“I did a lot of TV,” Sherman recalled recently at his base at Los Alamitos. “I was on ‘Good Morning America.’ I went to Brooklyn, where I was born. I was always going to all kinds of parties. It was fun.”

Between the media and social obligations, the week flew by. A man used to minimal press attention at home hardly had free time. Sherman, who turned 78 in February, achieved the milestones of a lifetime that spring when California Chrome won the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness Stakes in consecutive starts. The wins were career firsts for Sherman and California Chrome’s owners, Perry Martin and Steve Coburn.

The California-bred colt with the white face, four white feet, and a name befitting his appearance had become a fan favorite and a national name in sports in advance of the Belmont Stakes. Everything led to a promising attempt at the Triple Crown.

“He was doing really good,” Sherman said. “He wasn’t a tired horse. He was eating, and he seemed to enjoy training at Belmont – nice, long gallops.”

Once the Belmont Stakes began, California Chrome’s luck turned. He was struck by another horse leaving the gate, resulting in a cut on the back of his right front foot. California Chrome was second early and raced wide on the backstretch and into the stretch under jockey Victor Espinoza. Despite a determined rally, California Chrome never reached the front. He finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the victorious Tonalist.

A Triple Crown winner would have to wait.

“I didn’t know that horse had stepped on his foot,” Sherman said. “It was bleeding pretty good when he got back.”

Sherman, who embraced his role as an ambassador for racing last spring, was cast in a slightly different role after the race. Coburn complained immediately after the Belmont that California Chrome was at a disadvantage because Tonalist had not started in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes.

Sherman did his best to diffuse the situation.

“I don’t know what was going on with Coburn,” Sherman said. “I tried to calm it the next day. I didn’t know he made those statements. He looked like a sore loser. You get outrun, you get outrun. You’ve got to appreciate being able to do it.”

To an extent, racing fans seemed to ignore Coburn’s rant. When Sherman returned to his base at Los Alamitos, he found support for California Chrome had hardly wavered.

“We got so much fan mail,” Sherman said. “I’ve never known a horse that was so popular. I was getting 10 or 15 letters a day. He was a star.”

A year later, the letters have slowed, and so has the attention. California Chrome won only once in his final three starts of 2014, a popular win before an enthusiastic crowd at Del Mar on Nov. 29 in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. For the season, California Chrome won the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.

This year, California Chrome has run twice, finishing second to Shared Belief in the $590,000 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7 and second to Prince Bishop in the $10 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates on March 28.

Following that race, California Chrome was sent to trainer Rae Guest in England at the insistence of Martin. The Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 17 is California Chrome’s next scheduled start.

Sherman has been in contact with Guest and remains California’s Chrome official trainer. He is scheduled to leave for England next week for the buildup to the Ascot race.

“I’ve been to England, but I’ve never been to the races there,” Sherman said.

Thursday, California Chrome worked seven furlongs in company at Ascot under jockey Frankie Dettori, the colt's first visit to the famous racecourse. Sherman said that California Chrome may have a breeze in Newmarket before the Prince of Wales's Stakes.

Sherman hopes to have the colt back in California sooner rather than later, knowing the mailbag will bulge and the number of visitors will soar.

“People call and say they hope he comes back,” he said. “You know how it is – out of sight, out of mind. When he comes back, I’m sure it will start up again.”