California Chrome- Is he really THAT good?

[OverandOnward]

Well, I really-really-really wanted Smarty Jones to win the TC. Not because he was such a great horse, but because America needs a TC winner. :yes: In my opinion. (The public was excited about him, that was good enough for me.)

CC may be the best of his year (no opinion), but he has to face the real distance horses that prepped solely for the Belmont and do not have 2 other major stakes races in the last 6 weeks. That’s the real challenge of winning the TC. It has been done, of course.

Seems like the Belmont winner often did not run in the other two TC races. Is that right, experts?

The Belmont is a far more awesome race than the Derby, as far as I’m concerned. I like seeing the horses fire from back in the pack, overtaking the leaders in the last furlong.

I hope CC wins the TC, I’m pulling for him. Love his name and his color. He’s appealing to the great unhorsed public who neither know nor care who is Nearco. America needs a TC winner to help us all feel better about things. Happy for CC to have it.

[QUOTE=EventerAJ;7583154]
… He’s kind of seen as a “freak,” outrunning his pedigree. …[/QUOTE]

Like Seattle Slew? :winkgrin: (Remains to be seen … )

[2tempe]

[QUOTE=ravenclaw;7584231]

Before the Derby, I read an article that had some quotes from Art Sherman. He said that he thinks CC’s experience (racing as many times as he has) will help him in the Triple Crown. Because he’s got a more solid foundation and fitness level that has been built over a longer time than the horses that have only run in 3 or 4 or 5 races before the Derby. It will be interesting to see if this theory holds up. CC certainly looks good so far and like his races in the Derby and Preakness haven’t taken all that much out of him.[/QUOTE]

This is an interesting point. His career has been a bit more “old time”. Back in the day when there were more than a few stakes beyond a mile and 1/4, and horses generally ran more races.

OandO - you say he will have to face the “real distance horses”. I honestly don’t know how anyone can know less than 1/2 way thru a 3 yr old year, whether a horse is a real distance horse or not. And generally we don’t seem to breed this type anymore.

I do know that I will sure be glued to the TV and rooting for this horse and hoping Art Sherman has it right.

[Roxyllsk]

I think this horse has a great mind, and that is his greatest asset. He does have talent too. Very rateable, bumped right back when Social Inclusion bumped him, sat exactly where Victor wanted him to be, then turned on the afterburners when asked.

Art Sherman is an old time horse trainer, and you better believe he had his horse fit with a good foundation coming into the TC races.

I think he has as good a chance as any to win again against this group of 3 year olds. And I really do hope he DOES do it !

(and I want him to come to NJ and run in the Haskell so I can see him in person)

[511]

To all the negative nellies raining on the parade.
Please tell us ‘why’ the colts that ran against Affirmed, Seattle Slew and Secretatriat were so superior to the horses of today?

[SportArab]

Well, I don’t think he’s got a challenger in the league of Alydar. But that was a very unusual year - two colts who could have each won the Triple Crown, had they been born in different years.

[EventerAJ]

In any year other than 1973, Sham would have had his Derby time in the record books, and may have won the Triple Crown.

I don’t see an Alydar or Sham running against California Chrome this year. It is still early, though, and some 3-year-olds really grow up over the summer. But as far as a Triple Crown campaign, this year’s colt crop hasn’t been astounding. That takes nothing away from California Chrome’s accomplishments-- I think he would hold up to better competition if he had to. But no one else this year really stands out.

[SportArab]

People criticized Seattle Slew for the same reason.

[danceronice]

[QUOTE=SportArab;7585499]
People criticized Seattle Slew for the same reason.[/QUOTE]

Yep. And look at the field sizes for TC winners like Assault–next door to nothing and no one to write home about. Yet of all eleven the only one who might deserve an asterisk is Sir Barton and that’s more because they didn’t really think of it as a Triple Crown until after he did it.

[RainyDayRide]

@Roxyllsk;7585263

Art Sherman is an old time horse trainer, and you better believe he had his horse fit with a good foundation coming into the TC races.

Don’t forget that Chrome’s pre-Triple Crown racing schedule was sent to Sherman by Martin and Coburn when they sent Chrome to Sherman’s stable. I think that Coburn’s “aw shucks” manner somewhat obscures just how smart they are.

(interesting article on Martin’s background … he wound up buying and running the sophisticated testing lab he worked for
http://www.freep.com/article/20140515/COL38/305150035/california-chrome-triple-crown-horse-racing-upper-peninsula )

[511]

[QUOTE=SportArab;7585499]
People criticized Seattle Slew for the same reason.[/QUOTE]

I was going to throw that in the mix too.
It gives the small timers with a limited checkbook but a good eye for colts a chance to grab the brass ring. Mine that bird was sold as a yearling for the price of a good warmblood prospect and that is within almost every racehorse owners price range. MTB was no triple crown contender but he was an explosive closer and being used to training 6000 feet up I also think helped in his moment of glory.

[arbiter]

And MTB was in the top three in all three races.

[511]

[QUOTE=arbiter;7585919]
And MTB was in the top three in all three races.[/QUOTE]

They kept switching jockeys too.
He was a game little horse.

Whatever Happened to The Green Monkey? He cost a mint, didn’t train well and now he is nowhere to be seen.

[OverandOnward]

[QUOTE=5;7586000]
… Whatever Happened to The Green Monkey? He cost a mint, didn’t train well and now he is nowhere to be seen.[/QUOTE]

I was told by someone who has no idea where he is that he was cursed with a bad name by his owners, and so therefore has disappeared from racing significance. I didn’t know it worked that way …

[harvestmoon]

The Green Monkey is somewhere to be seen. He’s standing in Florida. His best offspring so far is probably Kinz Funky Monkey, who won the Manhattan Beach Stakes (Listed) at Hollywood Park last year. Anyway, not saying The Green Monkey is A.P. Indy’s heir apparent, but you know.

Calvin rode Mine That Bird in both the Derby and Belmont. He rode Rachel in the Preakness for, well, obvious reasons.

[Macimage]

I saw a segment on the news tonight where they interviewed Calif. Chrome’s jockey as he is back in Calif. for a few weeks.

I was wondering if anyone pays him not to ride horses for these few weeks or if he is still riding horses with the possibility of injury? Just curious how this works as I don’t imagine CC’s owners would want his jockey to get hurt in another race.

[RainyDayRide]

[QUOTE=Macimage;7586586]

I was wondering if anyone pays him not to ride horses for these few weeks or if he is still riding horses with the possibility of injury? Just curious how this works as I don’t imagine CC’s owners would want his jockey to get hurt in another race.[/QUOTE]

Towards the end of an interview Espinoza gave the evening CC won the Preakness, he was asked if he was going to go to Belmont to refresh his experience on the track there and he replied in essence that, no, he was going back to CA to work. The interviewer looked a bit surprised and suggested that with his recent record it was likely that some owners in Belmont might give him some mounts.

http://www.hrtv.com/videos/victor-espinoza-wasnt-worried/?VideoCategoryId=0

[Macimage]

[QUOTE=RainyDayRide;7586604]
Towards the end of an interview Espinoza gave the evening CC won the Preakness, he was asked if he was going to go to Belmont to refresh his experience on the track there and he replied in essence that, no, he was going back to CA to work. The interviewer looked a bit surprised and suggested that with his recent record it was likely that some owners in Belmont would give him some mounts.

http://www.hrtv.com/videos/victor-espinoza-wasnt-worried/?VideoCategoryId=0[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info and link!

[Slewdledo]

Time will tell and we will find out! Many horses who are better than he have failed. I did a lot of research last night trying to decide whether to go to NY in 3 weeks. There are no cakewalks in the Triple Crown.

He validated my eye all the way back in November…we bet him on the BC undercard (his mind was elsewhere that day and got in trouble all the way around and finished well back.) But he was the only horse in the undercard races whom I photographed.

I LOVE that he is the winner of the last stakes on the last day of racing at Hollywood Park.

Espinoza will have some rides on the track earlier on Belmont Day and maybe the day before, too, don’t worry about that.

And do read Steve Haskin’s Preakness article if you haven’t. It’s fantastic. “The only sport where you both root for someone and try to beat them at the same time.”

[Slewdledo]

And my pic of him from 11/1 shows him wearing a nasal strip…he is not undefeated with the strip on.

[Brooklyncowgirl]

How good is California Chrome? So far I’d say he’s very good. Is he great? Only time will tell. I love watching him run, such an efficient stride; when other horses are struggling he seems to be just loping along and when he kicks in and starts to run it is breathtaking.

Win or lose, I hope he continues to race after the Belmont. A successful campaign racing against older horses would go a long way to answering the questions. A successful four year old campaign would cement him as one of the true greats. I doubted Seattle Slew’s greatness initially. Sure he won the Triple Crown, but he had no real rival worth speaking of. It was his four year old campaign that convinced me he was special.

A woman can dream, can’t she?