California Chrome now comfortable running inside

CYPRESS, Calif. – The ways in which California Chrome has improved from ages 3 to 5 are numerous, but overcoming his apprehension at racing inside horses may be the biggest reason for his perfect record this year, for California Chrome in three of his 2016 races has overcome an inside draw and easily prevailed.

It wasn’t like that earlier in his career. California Chrome was often ridden in the early portion of his races with the intent of getting outside of horses as quickly as possible, a strategy employed after troubled trips at age 2 in the Del Mar Futurity and Golden State Juvenile. He had perfect, stalking trips in the Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby and in the Preakness was guided quickly away from his inside draw as soon as jockey Victor Espinoza could do it.

Subsequent losses in the Belmont Stakes and Pennsylvania Derby reinforced the notion that California Chrome hated being inside, and while there may have been contributing factors in those losses – he was stepped on at the start of the Belmont and clearly was in need of a race in the Pennsylvania Derby – the race strategy into his 4-year-old year included trying to get him outside, into a stalking position.

This year, however, California Chrome has needed no such allowance. In his first start in Dubai, in his prep for the World Cup, an inside draw proved no bother. But it was in his last two races that California Chrome put away any lingering suspicion that he needed to get off the rail.

In both the Pacific Classic on Aug. 20 at Del Mar and last Saturday in the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita, California Chrome drew the rail, and Espinoza sent him, daring anyone to challenge. It makes him all the more formidable an opponent for his rivals in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

“He used to get a little intimidated inside horses. We wanted to get him outside, in the clear,” Art Sherman, who trains California Chrome, said at his Los Alamitos barn. “He got knocked around in a couple of his early races, had to be snatched up. I think he got gun shy.

“Now, he wants to be the man. He had speed as a 3-year-old, but not this kind of speed.”

After conceding the lead to California Chrome in the Pacific Classic, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Rafael Bejarano were intent on not repeating that scenario with Dortmund in the Awesome Again.

“We’re going to take it to him early,” Baffert said before the race. “We’re going to put him on the lead and see what happens.”

The trouble was that as fast as Dortmund is, and as badly as his connections wanted to make the lead, he simply couldn’t keep up. California Chrome set fractions of 22.76 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, 46.08 for a half, and 1:09.28 for six furlongs, by which time Bejarano was beginning to urge Dortmund, while Espinoza was sitting still on California Chrome.

“I knew Baffert had to send,” Sherman said. “Dortmund was laying on him pretty good, but Chrome likes to be close to horses now. He likes the competition. He’s like, ‘Bring it on.’ He set those fractions and drew off again.

“He’s just an unbelievable horse right now.”