California Chrome tries to buck history
BENSALEM, Pa. – The Triple Crown grind usually gets the best of a horse. If it’s not the prep races, then it’s the three races – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes – run in five weeks that usually takes a toll. Only the strong survive.
From 1997 to 2012, eight horses won the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Only four raced again at age 3. Only War Emblem (2002) and Big Brown (2008) were able to win later that year.
On Saturday, California Chrome, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in the spring, returns to the races in the Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. It is his first start since his bid to become the sport’s 12th Triple Crown winner ended in a fourth-place finish, a dead heat with Wicked Strong, in the Belmont Stakes. That he’s made it back to this point is a credit to the horse and his connections, trainer Art Sherman and his son and assistant, Alan.
The question now is will California Chrome’s return look more like Big Brown, who won the Haskell Invitational and the Monmouth Stakes, or like Funny Cide, who was well beaten in the Haskell and Breeders’ Cup Classic in his 3-year-old season?
Art Sherman, California Chrome’s 77-year-old trainer, enters the race confident.
“I think he’s going to be right on,” Sherman said this week. “I just like what I see. If he gets outrun, he gets outrun, but they’re going to have to have their running shoes on.”
While the Pennsylvania Derby field does not include Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, Pacific Classic winner Shared Belief, or Travers one-two finishers V. E. Day and Wicked Strong, the field is not soft. Bayern, the winner of the Grade 1 Haskell, and Tapiture, the winner of the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby, top the list of seven challengers California Chrome will face.
The Pennsylvania Derby, run at 1 1/8 miles, is the highlight of a 13-race card that begins at 11:25 a.m. Eastern and includes the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion, featuring a matchup of multiple Grade 1-winning fillies Untapable and Sweet Reason, and the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob for 3-year-old sprinters.
California Chrome injured his right front foot in the Belmont. It healed quickly, and then he was given a month at Harris Farms, where he was raised. Since returning to training, he has worked six times, including a six-furlong move in 1:10.20 at Los Alamitos on Sept. 6 with jockey Victor Espinoza in the irons.
“I was so pumped up the other day after [Espinoza] worked him when he said this is the best he’s felt since he’s been getting on him,” Sherman said.
California Chrome drew the rail for the Pennsylvania Derby, not the post his connections wanted. California Chrome has a tendency to rock in the gate, which at times can cause him to break a little slowly.
“He’s always done it, just something we have to deal with,” said Alan Sherman, who planned to school California Chrome in the starting gate Friday. “I hope he doesn’t break slow.”
California Chrome has speed when he wants to use it. In the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, he sat a stalking third.
“I’d really like for him to have a target, to be honest with you,” Art Sherman said.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 California Chrome. Trainer Art Sherman is 3 for 11 with a $2.47 ROI over the past five years in routes following a layoff of between 61 and 180 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Bayern will be a fast-moving target under Martin Garcia. He carried his speed successfully in the Haskell at 1 1/8 miles – the distance of the Pennsylvania Derby – but not in the Travers at 1 1/4 miles, finishing last.
Bayern, trained by Bob Baffert, made a good impression while galloping over the Parx main track Thursday.
Tapiture was beaten 17 1/2 lengths by California Chrome in the Kentucky Derby. He has come back with victories in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs and Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer. He has spent the summer training at Saratoga, where Scot Blasi, the assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, believes the colt has thrived.
“Happy with the condition he’s been carrying; his energy level and works have been very good,” Blasi said. “It’s no easy task, but with two races under our belt and [California Chrome] coming off a layoff ...”
Completing the field are Protonico and Classic Giacnroll, the one-two finishers in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones; Jerome Stakes winner Noble Moon; and good-looking allowance winner C J’s Awesome.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Protonico. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 39 for 105 with a $2.20 ROI over the past two years in graded stakes dirt routes following a win. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
KEY CONTENDERS
California Chrome (Last 3 Beyers 98-105-97)
◗ He comes off a 105-day layoff. Twice he has run off 52-day layoffs, winning the King Glorious by 6 1/4 lengths last December and running sixth in the Golden State Juvenile Stakes last November.
◗ Connections have said that while they would naturally like to win this race, the ultimate goal is the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Bayern (Last 3 Beyers 73-100-108)
◗ A performance like he put forth in the Haskell could be good enough to win this race. He earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest of anyone in the field.
◗ Bounced back from a 21-length loss in the Preakness to win the Grade 2 Woody Stephens three weeks later.
Tapiture (Last 3 Beyers 101-92-72)
◗ Overcame traffic to win the West Virginia Derby with a career-best Beyer of 101. Vicar’s in Trouble, third in that race, came back to win the Super Derby.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Tapiture. Trainer Steve Asmussen is 7 for 34 with a $1.06 ROI over the past two years in graded stakes coming off a win and a layoff of between 31 and 60 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Candy Boy. Trainer John Sadler is winless in 17 starts over the past two years when shipping outside of California. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan