PRIVMAN: Cal Chrome a 'go' in Hollywood Derby
 

BREAKING NEWS: California Chrome to run in Hol Derby on turf at DMR on 11-29, per trainer Art Sherman. Full story at http://live.drf.com

interesting they are moving him to turf.... Big Brown did the same thing at Monmouth

This certainly makes the Derby a LOT more interesting and adds to the end of year questions.

I cant see California Chrome not being horse of the year. When its close tie goes to the derby winner, no?

usually yes, but lost two in a row to Bayern after the TC races

thats true but i guess it depends on the true definition of horse of the year... kind of like an "MVP Award" is it just the flat out best horse by opinion or the Most Valuable to the sport... i.e. news worthy and story of the year... etc..

I think HOY is horse with best record, like Main Sequnce, 4 for 4 in Grade 1 races, hard to beat perfection!!!

That would be the only explanation for Zenyatta winning it over Blame.

You forgot the explanation that the majority of people are fugging idiots.

Ugh. For some reason the screech of "Blaaaammme" popped into my head. :zz:

I reserved my table at the El Palio on the 6th floor !

I cant see how Chrome gets any award. Bayern is HOY and 3yr old champ. Its not even close.

Who do you think should be 3yr old champ and HOY this year?

From DRF's Toronto man Ron Gierkink..

Lexie Lou vs. California Chrome

The possibility of this year's Queen's Plate winner Lexie Lou meeting this year's Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on the grass at Del Mar Nov. 29 would be a rare matchup between the winners of these two prestigious events.

Woodbine's crack media office staff has determined that the last time the winners of these two races met was in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga in 2006, when '05 Plate winner Wild Desert wound up sixth, ahead of '03 derby winner Funny Cide.

Perhaps the most famous such meeting came in 1998, when Awesome Again, the '97 Plate winner, outran '97 Derby winner Silver Charm to take the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill.

Trainer Mark Casse said he has Corey Nakatani lined up to ride Lexie Lou in either the Hollywood Derby or against older females in the Grade 1 Matriarch Nov. 30 at Del Mar.

Per Brisnet -

" The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner is slated to work on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course at Del Mar on Sunday, November 23, Sherman indicated. A decision on either the Hollywood Derby or Native Diver could be made following the drill "

http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/edito...ll_edition.cgi

The only reason California Chrome is going to run in one of the two races, is because the ownership, realizes, that they are behind in the race for HOY, and three year old champ. They have twice lost to Bayern, Shared Belief has a victory over older, and an excuse. California Chrome has neither. The funny thing that I find, is that everyone says that Bayern needs to win by not having any pace pressure, and therefore getting the perfect trip as a front runner. What is the difference between Bayern needing a paceless trip, and California Chrome, not being trapped on the inside of horses? He also needs a perfect trip. So explain to me, why Bayern style is looked down upon, and Cal Chrome's is not? They both need a trip, but different they have completely different styles. As for tracks favoring speed, the only place you see runners on dirt come from behind, is in the movies. Otherwise, in North America, the universal bias is SPEED.

I have no strong opinion on those.

If I had a gun to my head though, even though I know Shared Belief is the better horse, I'd probably give it to Chrome.

Bayern, he's had too many crappy starts, and was gifted the BCC. Remember, I like that horse too, as he was my Derby pick after Shared Belief went down.

I also think Shared Belief is much better then California Chrome.

I guess I can't always be right.

Bayern Top-Ranked U.S.-Based Horse in World
By Blood-Horse Staff November 13, 2014 10:03 AM 21 CommentsRacing, International, Breeders' Cup, West Region
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern
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 ShareWith his victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park, Bayern moved into a tie for sixth on the Longines World's Best Race Horse Rankings.

The rankings listed on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities website give Bayern a 125 rating, which is tied for sixth with Idee Deutsches Derby (Ger-I) winner Sea the Moon and Qatar Prix d l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) winner Treve. Bayern is the highest-rated dirt horse in the world and highest rated U.S.-based horse.


Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...#ixzz3Iz3xPtaK

If Shared Belief pulled Chromes trip he wins the Classic. Im not sure he is that much better then Bayern though, especially at 9f.

IF Bayern had had Shared Belief's trip in the BCC, he'd just about now cross the finish line.

CAC problem on the turf will be Espinoza. He only about a 10% route turf rider. He seems to always find a way to get his horses in trouble.

If you're making a change of rider for a turf race... the obvious choice is John R.

This year stats Turf routes

JR 16%
Smith 17%
Joel 19%

CALIFORNIA CHROME BREEZES HALF-MILE IN 52 FLAT ON TURF

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome made his first appearance of the year at Del Mar on Sunday morning, breezing a half-mile on the turf in 52 seconds under regular jockey Victor Espinoza with trainer Art Sherman looking on from the second level of the grandstand.

California Chrome is nominated to both the $300,000 Hollywood Derby on grass and the $200,000 Native Diver on Polytrack on Saturday, November 29 at Del Mar. Sunday’s workout, the first for California Chrome on turf, was to determine his affinity for the surface and help in the stakes decision.

“I was satisfied with the work,” Sherman said at a news conference an hour later. “Victor said (California Chrome) didn’t know if he was going to work or gallop because he’d never been on the grass before. But Victor said he felt smooth underneath him and that was my main concern.”

If California Chrome runs next Saturday, he will be the seventh Kentucky Derby winner to race at Del Mar after winning the Run For The Roses in the 75-year history of the track.

Sherman said a final decision regarding which race would likely come on Wednesday when entries are taken, but stuck to previously expressed priorities.

“I’d love to run him on the grass,” Sherman said.

With an estimated crowd of 500 watching, California Chrome was given the opportunity for a solo run over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. He entered the course from a gate just past the finish line, his chestnut colt glistening in the early morning sun.

The colt jogged easily around the clubhouse turn to the backstretch, then broke off from the accompanying pony and started the half-mile work. The turf course “dogs” (marker cones) were well out from the inner rail to protect the surface and the work was conducted more than halfway toward the outer rail.

Track clockers had splits of :13.80 and :26.60 for the first two furlongs and :52.00 for the half-mile, meaning a final quarter in :25.40 seconds. Espinoza had California Chrome well in hand the entire way and clockers labeled it “breezing,” an assessment not routinely accorded on the Southern California circuit

Native Diver it is.

:D

We can only hope he goes on the grass, and provides a great bet against situation.

Why wouldn't he take to turf?

The right question is "why would he?"

If I recall correctly, IC thought the Belmont was a foregone conclusion, so I'm not surprised he assumes Chrome will handle grass.

I'm expecting a Tabasco Catlike performance..

I know you aren't that stupid.

Pulpit is some reason to think he might take to it.

I didn't say he's a lock in the race, only that I think it's silly to dismiss him.

Another reason is that he seems to handle synthetics just fine.

1) Cozzene is a turf influence

2) Chrome hates dirt kickback, so perhaps the grass will help that

3) As IC wrote, he already handles polytrack and dirt, a good sign for handling multiple surfaces

4) He looked decent enough in the slow workout around the cones. I don't think time matters in turf workouts. It just looked smooth.

I dont care how well he is bred for the race at 3/5 I have to play against a horse like this trying it for the first time.

Well, yeah, in that context, you can't play him.

Without having looked over the field though, how likely is he to be 3/5?

What? You definitely were insisting people tell you why he wasn't going to win the Belmont. You have a hard-on for the horse, it's OK. I'm ribbing you.

I know you are ribbing me.

I am not a fan of the horse. The only reason he lost the race is because he was injured, and you know that.

I still think he's a very nice horse though.

And clearly the BCC was a more fairly run race for CC and Tonalist, than say the Belmont.

It's Official: California Chrome's A Go.. In Saturday's Hollywood Derby

Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome was entered Wednesday morning for Saturday’s Grade I $300,000 Hollywood Derby and will face five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile run over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

California Chrome would become the seventh Kentucky Derby champion to race at Del Mar after winning the Run For The Roses. Gato Del Sol (1982 Kentucky Derby winner), Ferdinand (1986), Unbridled (1990), Silver Charm (1997), War Emblem (2002) and Giacomo (2005) all subsequently raced at Del Mar.

It will be the first race on turf for California Chrome, a son of Lucky Pulpit owned by Perry Martin and Steve Coburn.

Trainer Art Sherman nominated California Chrome for both the Native Diver Handicap, 1 1/8-miles on Polytrack, and the Hollywood Derby, two of three graded stakes on Saturday, the penultimate day of the Bing Crosby Season. California rules stipulate that only one race could be entered, and when the time came Wednesday morning, Sherman did not waiver from a previously stated preference for the Hollywood Derby.

“I want to run him on the grass,” Sherman said. “It will give me a lot of options when he runs next year as a 4-year-old. And he’s got a chance at Horse of the Year (for 2014).”

California Chrome worked a half-mile on the turf course on Sunday. An open gallop through the stretch on the grass is planned for Thursday morning.

The Hollywood Derby field, in alphabetical order, is: Cabral (Kent Desormeaux), California Chrome (Victor Espinoza), Flamboyant (Mike Smith), Lexie Lou (Corey Nakatani), Sawyer’s Hill (Rafael Bejarano) and Talco (Drayden Van Dyke).

Post positions for the race were to be drawn at the close of entries later Wednesday.