California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby by more than a length making Art Sherman the oldest trainer to win the Run for the Roses. USA Today
California Chrome had two riders urging him on as he dispatched his competition in the stretch to take Saturday's 140th Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths over Commanding Curve.
There was Victor Espinoza on his back, winning his second Derby before the second-largest crowd in Churchill Downs history.
And there was 77-year-old Art Sherman, the workout jockey for 1955 Derby winner Swaps. Sherman later rode at Churchill Downs for almost a decade but watched the Derby from the jocks' room as he never had a mount.
"For Victor, with 23 years of riding myself, I had that feeling for him, too," Sherman said, "saying, 'All right, Victor, you're in a perfect spot. Just cool it, wait and see what happens. Now, push on the button and I hope you've got something left.' And he ran his eyeballs out.
"When he spurted away, I said, 'Now let me take over the last 70 yards.' "
With his first starter in America's most revered race, Sherman became the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. The late Charlie Whittingham was 76 when Sunday Silence won in 1989.
"He gave me the biggest thrill I ever had in my life," Sherman said. "... I knew my horse could run, and I knew he'd be the horse to beat once we got him here."
On a sun-soaked day before a crowd of 164,906, 5-2 favorite California Chrome broke three-abreast for the lead but then was content to track behind Chitu and the newly-blinkered Uncle Sigh. For all the talk about so much speed, the early pace was almost leisurely for the Derby: 23.04 seconds for the first quarter-mile, slowing down to 47.27 for the half-mile and 1:11.80 for six furlongs.
But a comfortable pace meant a crowd of horses.
"When everybody slowed down, it was like a lot of things going through my mind in a couple tenths of a second," said Espinoza, who also won the 2002 Derby on War Emblem. "I don't even know what I was thinking about at that point. I was more concerned about California Chrome, that he do his thing, breathe on the backside, shut down a little bit. I really liked that. At that point I was like, 'This is going great.'
"Everything worked out. An amazing race."
Espinoza made his move into the clear rounding out of the far turn, and it became a race for second as the bronze-colored California Chrome finished 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.66 - the slowest time over a fast track since 1974.
"I never felt in my dreams that I would win two Kentucky Derbies in my entire career," the jockey said. "I was a young guy and I never knew I was going to be a jockey and look at me now. It is an awesome feeling."
Commanding Curve, ridden by Oldham County resident Shaun Bridgmohan for Louisville trainer Dallas Stewart, closed from near-last to take second by 1 1/4 lengths over Arkansas Derby winner Danza, with Wicked Strong nosing out Samraat for fourth. It marked the second straight year that a Stewart-trained horse finished second, with Golden Soul runner-up to 2013 winner Orb.
"He obviously showed what he is capable of, and his best days are ahead of him," Bridgmohan said. "... When I looked how close the wire was, I said, 'Aw man, the wire's coming too soon.' "
California Chrome paid $7 to win, $5.60 to place and $4.20 to show. Commanding Curve returned $31.80 and $15.40, with Danza paying $6 to show.
California Chrome now is unbeaten in his five races with Espinoza, by a combined 26 lengths and including the $1 million Santa Anita Derby four weeks ago. Overall, the son of the California stallion Lucky Pulpit is 7-1-0 in 11 starts, earning $2,552,650 with the $1,417,800 payday for co-owners Steve Coburn and Perry Martin.
The Derby winner - out of the $8,000 mare Love the Chase and sired by the California stallion Lucky Pulpit (stud fee $2,500) - is the first horse bred by the owners. He becomes the fourth California-bred Kentucky Derby winner and the first since Decidedly in 1962. Another was Swaps.
Three weeks before the colt was born, Coburn had dreamed that California Chrome would be a chestnut with a big blaze and four white socks. He stated as fact that California Chrome would win the Derby. Now, the next stop is May 17 at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, with the racing world waiting to see if California Chrome can stay on course to give the sport its first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Coburn is not through with the declarations.
"When he wins the Triple Crown, he will be the first California-bred to ever win it," he said.
"I'm not saying anything now," said the more low-key Sherman. "He has a dream, and I've had a taste of it. I think California Chrome is a rock star, and I'm his manager, and I'm going all the way."
California Chrome made a believer out of skeptics.
"I was the biggest critic out here of California Chrome," said Churchill Downs-based Dale Romans, trainer of eighth-place Medal Count. "I thought he was the weakest Derby favorite we've had in a lot of years. I was wrong. He might be superhorse.
"... After the race, he has a new, huge fan, and so does his trainer. You don't train a horse like that, a California-bred, and get lucky and win the Kentucky Derby."
Contact Jennie Rees at (502) 582-4042; follow her Twitter at CJ_Jennie.
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