California Chrome out; Will return for full 5yo season

[LARHAGE]

It wasn't going to Royal Ascot that blowed, it was going to Royal Ascot with THIS horse, he's a dirt horse and could have been home with the trainer that knew him best and cleaned up with Shared Belief on the sidelines, instead they ship him off to a new Country, with a new trainer to prepare him for something completely over his head, than they ship him back to another track for another impossible endeavor, the horse is tired of his futile traveling and looked like **** stepping off the van in Arlington, a waste of a very nice horse.

[RolloTomasi]

I thought an underlying reason why California Chrome went to Dubai was to essentially "duck" Shared Belief. The San Antonio Invitational (along with the BC Classic) was sort of billed as a budding rivalry between the two and the way the race turned out it seemed a good possibility. Despite Shared Belief's emphatic win, California Chrome ran well off the layoff and perhaps would have been sharper for the Big Cap. Instead, the owners took their ball and went elsewhere.

[letswastemoney]

Originally Posted by LARHAGE

It wasn't going to Royal Ascot that blowed, it was going to Royal Ascot with THIS horse, he's a dirt horse and could have been home with the trainer that knew him best and cleaned up with Shared Belief on the sidelines, instead they ship him off to a new Country, with a new trainer to prepare him for something completely over his head, than they ship him back to another track for another impossible endeavor, the horse is tired of his futile traveling and looked like **** stepping off the van in Arlington, a waste of a very nice horse.

All of his major accomplishments are on dirt because that's what he ran on. The horse he beat at Del Mar on turf ended up winning the Shoemaker Mile recently, so it's not 100 percent proven Chrome isn't a turf horse too.

Before Chrome ever became popular, I labeled him as a polytrack specialist in his 2 year old season because he didn't seem to grip dirt as well. But, he just needed an outside trip.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

All of his major accomplishments are on dirt because that's what he ran on. The horse he beat at Del Mar on turf ended up winning the Shoemaker Mile recently, so it's not 100 percent proven Chrome isn't a turf horse too.

Before Chrome ever became popular, I labeled him as a polytrack specialist in his 2 year old season because he didn't seem to grip dirt as well. But, he just needed an outside trip.

When he impressively wired the field ( I think it was the Robert Lewis, I was there but not sure which Stake exactly ) how come he didn't need an outside trip?

[robfla]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

When he impressively wired the field ( I think it was the Robert Lewis, I was there but not sure which Stake exactly ) how come he didn't need an outside trip?

Originally Posted by letswastemoney Before Chrome ever became popular, I labeled him as a polytrack specialist in his 2 year old season because he didn't seem to grip dirt as well. But, he just needed an outside trip.

2014 San Felipe Stakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOmbne501ZE

[letswastemoney]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

When he impressively wired the field ( I think it was the Robert Lewis, I was there but not sure which Stake exactly ) how come he didn't need an outside trip?

I should have typed he runs well in the clear. When he leads, dirt isn't going in his face, and when he runs on the outside he gets to avoid kickback too.

In the Golden State Juvenile, Belmont Stakes and Penn Derby, his trips were inside and he misfired. In the case of the Pennsylvania race, the layoff probably made his lack of kick worse. Eliminate the Belmont Stakes and Penn Derby, and he ran fine throughout 2014. His two races this year were pretty good too, unless people are expecting an invincible record.

He's a horse that can compete at the GI level. It doesn't mean he will win every one of them, but it does not mean he will lose them all either.