California Chrome prevails in the $1 million Pacific Classic
California Chrome ‘s victory in the $1 Million Pacific Classic Stakes proved that this is a horse at the peak of his power, with jockey Victor Espinoza saying that, right now, his horse trumps American Pharoah.
With a quick jump out of the starting gate, California Chrome bid adieu to the field and made the Pacific Classic his own. In what was heralded as the race of the year, with the likes of Beholder and Dortmund gunning for him on the Del Mar Racetrack, Chrome effortlessly took the lead, the rest vying for the two spots left on the board. The great mare Beholder was unrelenting in pursuit to repeat her 2015 Pacific Classic win, but to no avail. Dortmund was a game third, stretching out to one-and-a-quarter mile distance.
The Pacific Classic win carries more than a spot at the top of the West Coast racehorse pecking order. Chrome gets his favorite Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses, a soapy sponge bath and a roll in the sand. Chrome’s connections, Perry King and Taylor Made Stallions, added $600,000 to take his purse-winning kitty to $13.25 million. Since the Pacific Classic is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, Chrome gets an automatic berth in the Classic and all of his $150,000 entry fees are paid.
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A couple of days before the race, California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman was confident:
"He’s coming in with no excuses. Everybody gets outrun, we all know that, but I wouldn’t give up my chances for any other horse in the race. I think he’s coming into the race as good as I’ve ever seen him and I think he’s even better than he was in the Dubai race, which was awesome."
There was passing concern when Chrome — a horse that very much prefers to run from the outside — drew the No.1 post position. After riding him in 16 races, Victor Espinoza knew to send Chrome to the front, off the rail, then let him settle in the lead easing through fractions of :23.20, 47.29, 1:11.22 and 1:35.69, and finishing in 2:00.13.
An inside look at California Chrome’s performance.
In a news conference after the race, Espinoza talked about the trip:
“He’s just an amazing horse,” Espinoza said. “He won so easy today. I’m going to say this now – this is the best horse I’ve ever ridden. I just wanted to get out there and see what was going to happen. He was going well the whole trip. He was in a perfect rhythm. The way he’s running now he could beat anyone, anytime. He’s run on dirt. He’s won on grass. He has won all over the world. He’s just so, so special.”
When asked if California Chrome is a better horse than (Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year) American Pharoah? Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah as well, responded:
“Yes,” Espinoza said. “The way he’s running now, yes”
After the race, Art Sherman talked about training Chrome and running against Beholder:
“When you get a couple of horses (like California Chrome and Beholder) in the same race — when do you ever see that,” he said. “The mare run a hell of a race, she’s a nice mare. But I looked at the field she run against last year and I said, ‘She’s hooked up a different horse. So I felt pretty confident.”
Later, Beholder’s jockey Gary Stevens recounted his take on the race.
“She ran a great race,” Stevens said. “I was hoping that she’d have that huge kick again like she did last year, but not this time. It was a gutty performance for her. But Victor (Espinoza) was playing with us. I don’t think he really let him run. That’s scary to think about. Hats off to California Chrome.”
At about 10 p.m., after Chrome was bathed, cooled out, fed and put away for the night, Art Sherman took a party of 15 to Chin’s Restaurant in San Bernardino for dinner. Sherman was back at the barn by 5 a.m. checking on his ward, getting him ready for his return to their Los Alamitos home base:
“He looked good,” he said. “I went over him, knees, ankles, everything was tight, everything looked good. Let him come back well. We’ve got some serious races ahead this year with the Breeders’ Cup Classic being the final goal. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse and I’m just lucky to get him.”