Pay the Man delivers first foal by California Chrome

The first foal by two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome was born Saturday night at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky., when the Bernstein mare Pay the Man produced a colt.

Pay the Man is the highest-earning Ohio-bred filly in history, and she is one of three horses bred in the Buckeye State to have earned seven figures on the racetrack, joining Harlan’s Holiday and Catlaunch. She won 27 of 76 starts over nine seasons of racing for $1,058,511, highlighted by 21 statebred stakes victories and 14 additional stakes placings.

The colt born Saturday was the third for the 14-year-old mare, following a Musketier colt in 2016 and an Oxbow filly in 2017. Pay the Man was purchased by Calumet Farm as a broodmare prospect for $95,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

The newborn colt’s extended family includes stakes winners Bernique, Bold Captain, Bright Pyrite, Ebby, and Master Mick.

California Chrome, a 7-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit, stands at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Ky., for an advertised fee of $40,000.

He was named Horse of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and racked up victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Dubai World Cup, Pacific Classic, Santa Anita Derby, Hollywood Derby, and Awesome Again Stakes. California Chrome retired with 16 wins in 27 starts and made $14,752,650. At the end of his career, he held the North America record for career earnings.

Bred in California by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn, California Chrome is out of the winning Not For Love mare Love the Chase, and he is from the family of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Chase the Dream and stakes winners Amourette, and Alette.

California Chrome bred a reported 145 mares in 2017.