Posted on 06/06/2014 8:33:46 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
ELMONT, N.Y. -- If you listen to horsemen during the Triple Crown chase year after year, they talk as if a special racehorse becomes a champion not only because of how fast he runs, but also because of who he is.
So what makes California Chrome a special racehorse and a champion, instead of just a horse with a great backstory? Co-owner Steve Coburn, the Wilford Brimley lookalike in the 10-gallon hat, fingers the trait that all of Chrome's handlers cite: "It's been amazing to watch his personality develop and watch his mind develop."
His mind? Really?
Angel Cordero Jr., the Hall of Fame jockey who won six Triple Crown races before becoming a rider's agent, nods and says Chrome's handlers are onto something: In a great racehorse, a beautiful mind can be a wonderful thing.
Cordero, standing trackside in a pelting rain at Belmont on Thursday morning -- not long after Chrome did a bit of schooling in the track's starting gate -- explains: "He's definitely a [physical] freak. You could see that way back when he showed up at the [Kentucky] Derby. But you can also see that he's a smart horse, too. And I definitely believe it helps a racehorse -- especially here -- to have a great mind. Because things tend to happen at the Belmont that don't happen at other places. Sometimes, there's confusion, because at the three-quarters pole here, there's still three-quarters of a mile to go, not a half-mile. Some of them have no idea where the wire is.
"But some horses -- some horses just know things," Cordero adds with a twinkle in his eye. "Some know when to go. Some go when you ask. And some" -- here Cordero laughs -- "they don't want to race much at all."
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
It hekps if you get them tutored by Trigger.
Art Sherman bump
Secretariat used to strike a pose when he heard cameras clicking. This guy is Secretariat’s great-great-great grandson. I think Secretariat was a more solid looking horse, though, especially in the hindquarters.
Coburn wanted to save money on his tax bill and one day decided he would buy into a horse syndicate as it would provide him with a tax write off.
Coburn and Martin partnered up and bought small shares in horses through a syndicate.
They bought a mare named Love the Chase and as they were signing the deal to buy her, a groom walked by and said: “anyone who decides to buy this horse is a dumbass”.
Instead of taking offence, the pair took inspiration and formed a partnership called Dumb Ass Partners or DAP.
The pals bred their “dumbass” mare Love the Chase with Lucky Pulpit and the offspring was California Chrome.
Steve Coburn knows how lucky they got with that punt.
He told USA Today: “We’ve got an $8,000 mare. We spent $2,000 for the stud fee. We’ve got a $10,000 horse that’s already made over a million dollars.
http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/horse-racing/california-chrome-wonder-horse-thats-3605989
He also has Seattle Slew in his pedigree and a half-sibling of Foolish Pleasure. I think he’s beautiful.
I grew up around horses and we had one young filly who knew how to open the screen door and come into the house. She was small at the time.
California C must destroy the field at the Belmont to overtake Secretariat.
Such a beautiful horse! He’s everything clean in this dirty world.
Nice draw getting the two gate. However the length of the race favors Wicked Strong. John Valasquez is on Riding on Curlin at 12-1. Box a 9-2-5 Exacta.
I don’t think any other horse will ever be capable of what Secretariat did at the Belmont.
Respectfully, wouldn’t that be a trifecta? Thanks!
Who is he? He’s a very good horse who’s been receiving completely overboard unrealistic praise from all quarters, most of it due to the hunger to finally have a Triple Crown winner for the first time since 1978. There are a few horses in the Belmont field to have minimal chance to even get as good as 4th at the wire (Matuszak,Matterhorn,Commissioner,etc.) but most of the rest do have a chance ,and a few double digit longshots in the super will make for a decent payoff and hence a bet worth making. TONALIST has the speed to get the lead from the far outside #11 post, and I think that is what he’ll do and try to steal it on the front end.I think CChrome will put him away before a mile is run. Wicked Strong, Samraat,General ARod and others will be entering the picture then. My two favorites, RideonCurlin and Commanding Curves will still be hanging back, but not nearly as far back as they were in the Derby and Preakness. Ride on Curlin is my choice to win, with the seriously important favor being that John Velazquez will be his new jockey. This CLINCHES it for me.Sorry to say, I don’t see C hrome winningq he BBelmont. Commandinqg Curve will be coming in fresh, having skipped he Preakness, and no one will anticpate just how fast he will be closing in the stretch. ALSO no one has seen the best of Samraat w
yet, and as a 20-1 longshot he will add considerable value to the Super,or Tri, if he gets 3rd. My scenario for the race is Ride on Curlin/Chrome+W. Strong+Samraat/GeneralARod+CCurve+Chrome/Samraat+Tonalist+GeneralARod. I don’t entirely rule out the possibility that CChrome could get the lead, hold it easily, and start extending it and win the Belmont like Secretariat. But. that is exactly what I thought would happen with BIG BROWN inhis Belmont, and look what happened. I will have a bunch of supers,a big exct box on Curve and curlin, and BEST of all,a win bet on Samraat who might wind up winning the Belmont,in the same way, amd for the same reasons that BET TWICE and VICTORY GALLOP won theirs. Watch the youtube replays of those two!
You can box an exacta with any number of horses.
I like California Chrome but he doesn’t strike me as overwhelming like Secretariat did. In the Derby he still had a coltish look to me. He’s got good genes, though.
I hope he wins. It’s such a great story.
Gotcha - I just usually box a tri, when playing three. Hope you are a winner !
What I’ve read is that Chrome does what the jockey wants hims to do, and his current jockey knows how to get the best from him.
He told USA Today: “We’ve got an $8,000 mare. We spent $2,000 for the stud fee. We’ve got a $10,000 horse that’s already made over a million dollars.
I think he’s worth about $30 million now. If he wins tomorrow, he’ll be worth more.
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