California Chrome starts as Dubai World Cup 2015 favourite

Peter Ward 12:21 28/03/2015
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  • Fan favourite: California Chrome (l) in action at last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

    In 1996, on the dirt off Nad Al Shebait was Cigar who proved the stellar name from America in the inaugural running of the Dubai World Cup.

    This time California Chrome is the star raider from the USA on everybody’s lips, connections clearly tempted not only by the $10 million purse (and why wouldn’t you be?) but the switch to dirt by Meydan this season.

    Admittedly, he cannot boast ‘highest-rated dirt horse in the world’ status as did Cigar when he arrived in Dubai and promptly won the first edition of, now, the world’s richest horse race, but he is certainly in the top half dozen.

    Having triumphed in last year’s Kentucky Derby he promptly followed up in the Preakness Stakes and, with the first two legs of the American Triple Crown in the bag, started favourite in the concluding leg, the Belmont Stakes.

    However, he failed in his quest to become the first winner of all three legs since Affirmed in 1978, his stamina seemingly failing over the 2400m trip.

    Today’s 2000m should be ideal and he looks certain to start a solid favourite with regular pilot Victor Espinoza aboard for 78yo trainer Art Sherman, saddling his first runner in the UAE.

    Alan Sherman, assistant trainer to his father, said: “He has taken the trip very well and has been striding out nicely on the surface. To be honest, I personally feel he will handle any track or surface. He has won on turf as well remember.

    “He was a good second on his return to action this year, behind a very good horse in Shared Belief. He has improved a lot since then and we are all looking forward to Saturday.”

    The exercise rider for 1955 Kentucky Derby winner Swaps and a winner of more than 2,000 races as both a jockey and trainer, Sherman knows a good horse when he sees one, but he admits that California Chrome’s progress and eventual stardom took him by surprise.  

    “He started growing and developing and all of a sudden he kept getting better after each race,” said Sherman Snr. 

    “He won six races in a row and in San Felipe he won by eight just being eased and it gave me goose pimples.

    “I was like ‘wow, I hope he runs this good in the Santa Anita Derby’. He beat a field of top horses and won easily.

    “Then I felt I had a real chance in the (Kentucky) Derby and he didn’t prove me wrong.”

    Despite the deflating defeat in the Belmont Stakes, in the eyes of his adoring ‘Chromies’, California Chrome lost no lustre and the likeable great grandfather Sherman remained racing’s darling. 

    “I call him the California rock star,” Sherman added. “He’s got such a following. I thought nobody would know me in Dubai but from the moment I stepped off the plane, people said ‘there’s California Chrome’s trainer’.

    “In the end, I’d like to leave some sort of legacy with him that says ‘wow, I remember California Chrome, he was a great horse and we had a lot of fun watching him run’.”

    California Chrome is joined in the nine strong field by compatriot Lea, trained by Bill Mott who saddled Cigar to land the inaugural running in 1996 but whose three subsequent runners have failed to make the frame.

    The mount of Joel Rosario, who won the race on Animal Kingdom in 2013, he will actually be having his third start of 2015, having won on his seasonal debut before a close second in the Donn Handicap early last month.

    The Donn has been a good source of World Cup winners in the past with Cigar one of three winners of both races, whereas 2005 World Cup victor, Roses In May, was runner-up in that year’s Gulfstream Park on his previous start.

    “He is an easy horse to ride,” 

    Rosario said. “He’ll do anything you want him to do. I have a lot of confidence.”

    Seeking a 10th Dubai World Cup victory, the American duo dominate the international markets and it would be no surprise were they to fight out the finish.

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