Too-good-to-be-true horse story one to savor

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

California Chrome’s fairy tale continues for now.

The winner of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby slept in Sunday, a little past 5 a.m., and when it was time to eat, he had a great appetite.

Later this week, he will take a van, or maybe fly, to Baltimore for the Preakness on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.

The good news, obviously, is he came out of the race fit and ready for the second leg of the Triple Crown. The bad news is it didn’t take long for Wicked Strong trainer Jimmy Jerkens to declare they were passing on the Preakness and aiming for the Belmont.

In other words, doing everything they can to win one leg of the Triple Crown by being well rested.

The Triple Crown is three in five weeks and if that isn’t difficult enough on still developing 3-year-olds, having to beat fresh horses every time makes it even harder and helps explain why no horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed did it in 1978.

Five horses have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness since 2002, and four of those lost the Belmont. The fifth one, I’ll Have Another, was withdrawn the day before race two years ago with an injury.

The other four were beaten by horses who either the Preakness after running in the Derby (Empire Maker over Funny Cide in 2003 and Birdstone over Smarty Jones in 2004) and by two who skipped the first legs altogether (Sarava in 2002 and Da’Tara in 2008).

So California Chrome’s work is cut out for him. But to be a Triple Crown champion, you almost have to be a super horse, and we’ll know soon enough if the East Coasters will do all they can to keep the West Coasters from having the first Triple Crown champion bred in California.

Some are already holding their noses and pointing at the winning time of 2:03.66.

That is deceptive. California Chrome opened up a 5-length lead in the stretch and when jockey Victor Espinoza glanced over his shoulder, he immediately took his foot off the letting California Chrome coast home. He even stood in the irons two strides before the finish line, so no one knows how fast the race could have been won.

That move by Espinoza gives California Chrome a better shot at reaching the winner’s circle three times in five weeks than if he had been ridden out.

Until the Preakness, the magic carpet ride continues for California Chrome, his owners, trainer, jockey and anyone else associated with the horse.

Espinoza, who won the 2002 Derby and Preakness on War Emblem and lost to Sarava in the Belmont after War Emblem stumbled badly at the start, revealed 12 years ago that he gives 10 percent of his winnings to City of Hope children’s cancer in Los Angeles. It is expected he’ll soon write a check to it for $140,000, or 10 percent of his winnings from Saturday’s $1.4 million payday.

Trainer Art Sherman, 77, took a flight back to California on Monday to check on the rest of stable, leaving his son Alan, his top assistant, overseeing California Chrome at Churchill. But Sherman will return in time to accompany his charge to Baltimore.

He became the oldest trainer in history to win the Derby, and it was the only time he’s had a horse run for the roses. It has been well documented he was an exercise rider on Swaps in 1955, and that before last Saturday’s race he visited Swaps’ grave and said a prayer.

The owners, who named their operation Dumb A** Partners are Steve Coburn is the spokesman while Perry Martin is quieter and more subdued, but both, like California Chrome, have energized a sport that needed energy. For example, California Chrome had to move his training from Hollywood Park after it closed to tiny Los Alamitos, a former quarterhorse track in suburban Los Angeles.

Their initial investment of about $10,000, not including training costs, has returned more than $2.5 million. All of the world loves a success story, and this could be one that ranks up there with a real life fairy tale come true.

Sports, Pages 17 on 05/06/2014