Exercise rider Gladney helps guide California Chrome back to competition

CYPRESS, Calif. – The man entrusted with guiding California Chrome through his daily exercise knows his way around Los Alamitos.

Dihigi Gladney, 40, made a career of riding lower-level Thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos from 1995 until his retirement in 2012. He rode winners at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita, but most of his 318 career victories were at Los Al.

After he quit riding, Gladney stayed active in racing by working on the backstretch. Since October, he has been the exercise rider and workout partner for California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year. Before that, he admired California Chrome from afar.

“I’d seen him a lot, but I’d never been on him,” said Gladney.

On recent Saturdays, Gladney’s first mount of the morning has been a workout on California Chrome.

Just before dawn Saturday, Gladney guided California Chrome through a five-furlong exercise in 1:00.60. Starting at the five-eighths pole, California Chrome worked slowly through the opening quarter-mile in 25.20 seconds. He was quicker through the long stretch at Los Alamitos, running the final three furlongs in 35.40.

“When he gets that motor rolling, you better be ready,” said Gladney.

California Chrome galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40, according to Los Alamitos official clocker Russ Hudak.

“That horse is coming around,” said Gladney. “He’s getting fit, and he’s ready to do something.”

California Chrome is scheduled to start in the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 9 at Santa Anita. Trainer Art Sherman envisions the Grade 2 San Pasqual as a prep for two starts in Dubai in the late winter and spring. The primary goal is the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse on March 26, with a prep race in late February or early March.

California Chrome has not raced since finishing second in the Dubai World Cup last March. Starts at Royal Ascot in England in June and the Arlington Million in August were abandoned because of minor setbacks. In late July, California Chrome was sent to Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky for a three-month rest. He rejoined Sherman’s stable in early October and has been in steady training for the last two months.

California Chrome is co-owned by breeder Perry Martin and Taylor Made Farms. In the summer, Taylor Made bought a minority share of California Chrome from owner and co-breeder Steve Coburn. Martin has attended several of California Chrome’s workouts in recent weeks and was present Saturday with family and friends.

A California-bred by Lucky Pulpit, California Chrome has won 9 of 18 starts and earned $6,322,650. In addition to his title as 2014 Horse of the Year, California Chrome was the champion 3-year-old male of 2014. During that season, his major wins were the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Hollywood Derby.

The Dubai World Cup earlier this year is California Chrome’s only start overseas, but a second trip to Dubai is very much the focal point of plans for early 2016.

Gladney, one of the few African-American exercise riders at Southern California tracks, never has been to Dubai. He said he was meant to ride an Arabian stakes there in the 2000s but missed the mount because of a back injury.

“I was lying in the hospital when they ran the race,” he said.

The opportunity to travel to the Middle East may come as the exercise rider of a famous horse.

“I went from being a pony rider to Chrome,” he said. “I should get a T-shirt: ‘Got Ponies, Got Chrome.’ ”

With that, he ducked into Sherman’s office to check the training schedule. It was time to climb aboard another horse bound for the track. The sun was about to rise.