Derby Contender: California Chrome
Derby favorite California Chrome shares a moment with trainer Art Sherman (Photo - Amy Gaskin)
Performance: The easy favorite, and not without good reason. California Chrome checks off all the boxes of what you want in a Derby horse. He is lacking in neither the experience department or in talent itself; he has 10 starts of seasoning under his belt, the last 4 of which were won by none less than 5 lengths. Most recently, he obliterated the field in the Santa Anita Derby, running the fastest time for the race in 16 years. From his powerful, chestnut physique (complete with flashy white blaze and stockings) to the ease with which he glides away from top caliber stakes horses, California Chrome has every bit of the ‘wow’ factor.
Pedigree: To find the stamina in California Chrome’s pedigree, you have to dig a little -- not unlike the once questioned pedigree of Belmont winner Union Rags. From his sire, Lucky Pulpit, California Chrome receives a sprinter’s heritage that is offset by neither his dam or second dam. Broodmare sire Not For Love, however, was an allowance winner at the Preakness distance of 1 3/16. Not For Love’s second dam, Numbered Account, was also a winner at 9.5 furlongs, and stakes placed at 10 furlongs. Numbered Account’s sire is routing champion Buckpasser (whose broodmare sire is Triple Crown winner War Admiral), and her damsire is Kentucky Derby champion Swaps. Further back, Numbered Account’s dam’s damsire is the great Nasrullah. Also present on Chrome’s distaff are the distance influences of Princequillo, Nearctic, Ribot, and Sir Gaylord.
CONCLUSION: Much of whether or not California Chrome can get 10 furlongs depends on whether he takes more after his close relatives, or the routing champions nestled a few generations back. Judging by the flair and ease with which he has been winning his races up to this point in his season, my vote would be a resounding “YES”.
He has yet to struggle with any test presented thus far this year, and judging by the way he was geared down before the wire in the SA Derby, it's likely we've not seen his top gear. The only thing I could justifiably hold against Chrome is that Santa Anita produces deceptively quick times, and is known to be a track where horses can stretch out further than they ordinary could. That said, Chrome appears to be a horse with more dimension than fellow Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, whose hype never amounted to much when he left his home court and stretched out at Churchill. As opposed to the primarily front charging (or very, very forwardly placed) Goldencents, California Chrome has done much of his winning from a good several slots back -- and while placement is not everything in a horse's ability to route, the capability of relaxing well off the pace can prove vital.
So is or is not California Chrome worthy of the hype and fanfare he has been receiving? Only time, testing, and one very handsome chestnut horse can ultimately tell.
God willing he stays sound and strong -- I think so.