Classic Chrome

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There is always a special feeling of anticipation when our California Chrome is scheduled to race!  We will get another spectacular view of this champ tomorrow, 8/20/16, in TVG’s Pacific Classic.

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The 26th running of the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes will take place at Del Mar Racetrack in the city by the same name, in California.  The inaugural race took place there in 1991.  The track is 1 and 1/4th miles (10 furlongs) on dirt. Thoroughbreds age 3 and older may compete for the $1 million dollar purse.  This is Del Mar’s finest race to date, I believe .  They will host the Breeders’ Cup for the first time in 2017 and in my opinion, the BC Classic is one of the few races that has nearly as much proven talent.  The Pacific Classic is one of the qualifying races to earn a chance at the BC Classic, “Win and You’re In.”

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Many of the best horses have participated in the Pacific Classic.  Cigar, Shared Belief, Game on Dude, Lava Man, Tinners Way and Beholder are a few of my favorites.  Making a return this year, Beholder with her 8 competitors are just as talented and impressive as the stars of this historical race.  The field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/age/gender:

  1. California Chrome/Victor Espinoza/Art Sherman/California Chrome, LLC/5YO/male
  2. Hoppertunity/Flavien Prat/Bob Baffert/Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman/5YO/male
  3. War Story/Ricardo Mejias/Dean Greenman/Loooch Racing Stables, Inc. and Glenn K. Ellis/4YO/gelding
  4. Hard Aces/Santiago Gonzalez/John W. Sadler/Hronis Racing, LLC./6 YO/male
  5. Win the Space/Joe Talamo/George Papaprodromou/Kretz Racing LLC./4YO/male
  6. Imperative/Noberto Arroyo, Jr./Richard Baltas/JK Racing Stables/6YO/gelding
  7. Beholder/Gary Stevens/Richard E. Mandella/Spendthrift Farms/6YO/female
  8. Dortmund/Rafael Bejarno/Bob Baffert/Kaleem Sgah, Inc./4YO/male
  9. Dalmore/Kent Desormeaux/J.K. Desormeaux/ Big Chief Racing, LLC., Rocker O Ranch, LLC. And J.K. Desormeaux/3YO/male

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In post position one is my number one pick, as well as the morning line favorite, California Chrome.  All of the pictures in this story are of Chrome.  Each were taken over a precious weekend when I visited him last year, while he rested at Taylor Made Farm in KY.  He holds 2 Eclipse Awards, has won 13 of 22 races and holds a record for racing earnings. He is the solo California bred horse in the race, sired by Lucky Pulpit and his dam is Love the Chase.

Hoppertunity, bred in Kentucky, is the progeny of Any Given Saturday and Refugee. He has won 5 of 20 career starts.  He was 3rd to Chrome in the 2016 Dubai World Cup.  Last year he ran 4th in the Pacific Classic.  Hoppertunity is a multiple graded stakes winner.

War Story, also KY bred, is the son of Northern Afleet and Belle Watling.  He has placed first in 3 of 12 races. He has had a lot of experience in graded stakes races but not much success.

Another KY boy, Hard Aces is sired by Hard Spun, his dam is All in With Aces.  He has won 7 times in his career of 33 starts.  He is a multiple graded stakes winner. He was 6th place in the Pacific Classic in 2015.  He won his last race/stakes out at Del Mar late July.  Perhaps he is on an upswing in California?

The son of Pulpit and Teamgeist is the lovely grey, Win the Space.  This horse was bred in KY by Spendthrift Farm.  He has won 3 in 12 races.  He has not won a graded stakes race.

Imperative is the KY bred offspring of Bernardini and Call Her.  He has raced 32 times and has 3 wins.  He has not won since 2014 but it was a graded stakes race. He finished 5th in the Pacific Classic in 2015.

Beholder has won an amazing 17 of her 23 races, yet I have never beheld her live myself. She holds 3 Eclipse Awards and finished 1st in the BC Juvenile Fillies, 2012 and BC Distaff, 2013.  She is the only filly in the race.  Beholder holds a high rank in earnings.  She won the Pacific Classic last year.  She is the second choice to win per the odds as I write this. Beholder is the KY bred daughter of Henny Hughes and Leslie’s Lady.

In his last race out, Dortmund ran a close 2nd to Chrome in the San Diego Handicap this past July.  Dortmund is the KY bred son of Big Brown and Our Josephina. He has won an impressive 8 of 11 races.  Dortmund was 3rd in the KY Derby and 4th in the Preakness both up against American Pharoah in 2015.  With plenty of talent and California racing experience this guy brings strong competition and is 3rd for the favorite. He shares his trainer, Baffert, with Hoppertunity.

Finally, the last post position is the baby of the bunch, Dalmore. He has 3 wins in his 11 starts. He is the only Florida bred horse in the race.  He is the son of Colonel John and Silver Breeze. He won in his last race/graded stakes.  He was 5th this year in the California Chrome Stakes.

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I have plenty of nerves built up for this showdown.  Watch the Pacific Classic live on TVG for Del Mar’s 9th of 11 races on 8/20/16 at 6:15 PM PT. Add 3 hours to that for Eastern Time. Go Chrome!

 

 

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Where Our Chrome Is In A League Of His Own

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After much anticipation, our champ, California Chrome, returns to race tomorrow, 7/23/16!  In his last race, on 3/26/16, in the $10 million dollar Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in UAE, Chrome finished in first place.  I feel strongly that he will be triumphant again Saturday when he races at Del Mar.

Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, CA was inaugurated in 1937.  The San Diego Handicap, a stakes race for Thoroughbreds ages 3 and older, began at Del Mar the same year.  This race has a purse of $200,000.  It is a Grade II race on the dirt at a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles, 9 furlongs.  The San Diego Handicap is a favorite prep race for the $1 million dollar Pacific Classic which takes place at Del Mar as well.  Del Mar has a few slogans.  Most people are familiar with “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”, as Del Mar sits beautifully right on the beach.  More recently, the track goes by “Cool as Ever”, to attract a new, young and fashionable crowd.   I like my new slogan, “Where Our Chrome is in a League of His Own”!

A field of 7 horses will compete at 6:10 p.m. PT (9:10 p.m. EST) in race 9 tomorrow in the San Diego Handicap.  The contenders are as follows by post position/horse/age, gender, state of birth/jockey/trainer/owner/sire,dam

  1. Hard Aces/6YO, H, KY/Santiago Gonzalez/John W. Sadler/Hroni’s Racing, LLC/Hard Spun, All In With Aces
  2. Dortmund/4YO, C, KY/Gary L. Stevens/Bob Baffert/Kaleem Shah, Inc/Big Brown, Our Josephina
  3. Soi Phet/8YO, G, CA/Kent J. Desormeux/Leonard Powell/Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell, Paul A. Viskovich/Tizbub, Summer Jersey
  4. Crittenden/4YO, G, KY/Martin Garcia/Eoin G. Harty/Godolphin Racing, LLC/Distorted Humor, Calla Lilly
  5. Follow Me Crev/4YO, G, KY/Alonso Quinonez/Vladimir Cerin/Holly and David Wilson/Quality Road, Vicki Vallencourt
  6. California Chrome/5YO, H, CA/Victor Espinoza/Art Sherman/California Chrome, LLC/Lucky Pulpit, Love the Chase
  7. Win the Space/4YO, C, KY/Mike E. Smith/George Papaprodromou/Kretz Racing, LLC/Pulpit, Teamgeist

Hard Aces has won just 6 of 32 races.  He has raced at Del Mar.  His trainer, John W. Sadler, won the San Diego in 2013.

Dortmund is probably Chrome’s strongest competitor.  He has a 8 in 10 record and has experience at Del Mar as well.  His trainer, Bob Baffert and owner, Kaleem Shaw, won the San Diego in 2014.  His jockey, Gary L. Stevens won the San Diego in 2015.

Soi Phet has a 5 in 33 record.  He has not raced at Del Mar.

Crittenden has raced and won at Del Mar.  He has a 4 in 15 career.  Martin Garcia, his jockey, won the San Diego in 2014.

Follow Me Crev has a 5 in 17 record.  He has raced 5 times at Del Mar.

I believe California Chrome will win as he is the favorite and looks to be the strongest contender.  He has won 12 times in his 21 career races.  I am ready to see him with lucky 13!  He has raced at Del Mar 3 times.  His jockey, Victor Espinoza, won the San Diego Handicap in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2013.

Win the Space has won 3 of 11 races.  He has started at Del Mar 3 times.  His jockey, Mike E. Smith won the San Diego in 2006.

Good luck to California Chrome!  I hope he wins this race.  He is expected to do so.  He is our 2014 Horse of the Year and is on top and on the road to grabbing that title in 2016.   He has just these last 5 races.  After the San Diego Handicap, he will race in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on 8/20/16, the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on 10/1/16, the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on 11/5/16 and finally, the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream on 1/28/17.  Following that, he will retire to stud at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky.

Enjoy week 2 of Del Mar and opening day of Saratoga.  I won’t make it to the track this weekend so tell me all about your adventures.  I will post again next week.  Until then, have fun at the races!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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