California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

[Cree]

[quote="Taff"]A right-handed oval track of a mile and five furlongs in circumference, with an uphill run from the home turn of three and a half furlongs, and chutes for mile and a quarter and mile and three-quarters contests. There is a separate straight course of five furlongs running diagonally across the centre.
American bred going right handed?........No way![/quote]

I think this is a tall order for Chrome, and he hasn't shown he's that superior on turf in North America. His one race on grass was left-handed, flat, and against horses that couldn't blow a torch to the horses at Ascot he will face.
The whole thing is silly, maybe the owners feel that they haven't made enough news since last year's Derby/Preakness is now old news.
I just hope he gets around safely and doesn't take too hard of a beating.

[TJ]

A right-handed oval track of a mile and five furlongs in circumference, with an uphill run from the home turn of three and a half furlongs, and chutes for mile and a quarter and mile and three-quarters contests. There is a separate straight course of five furlongs running diagonally across the centre.
American bred going right handed?........No way!

Hi Taff,
Thanks for your post. Did you heard if CC got to work with Dettori yet? They mentioned it, then it never happened because of Dettori's schedule. Please keep us posted concerning the thoughts on your side of the pond. TJ

[TJ]

Here's the Lockinge Stakes run yesterday, which CC and Ray Guest opted to pass. The winner Night of Thunder, who was making his first start for Godolphin following a private purchase, won the race after a 7 month layoff. TJ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJkK9h5YUU

[Patuxet]

Taff wrote: "American bred going right handed?........No way!"

European horses routinely come to North America and successfully adjust to racing left handed. What's the difference?

[Joltman]

June could be a very interesting month for racing. CC is out of his league, but has a lotta heart.

jm

[TJ]

June could be a very interesting month for racing. CC is out of his league, but has a lotta heart.

jm

Hi JM,
I agree with that....the Belmont is going to be a great race and there will be equal interest in Americans rooting for California Chrome at Ascot, as the Euro's will be rooting for Mubtaahij in the Belmont Stakes. Mubtaahij just posted a bullet work over the turf at Belmont Park this AM. I hope they let us know if he switched properly in his work? TJ

[Venusian]

A right-handed oval track of a mile and five furlongs in circumference, with an uphill run from the home turn of three and a half furlongs, and chutes for mile and a quarter and mile and three-quarters contests. There is a separate straight course of five furlongs running diagonally across the centre.

Sandown Park is perhaps a slightly stiffer track than Ascot, but generally free of surface undulations, and the 1 1/4 mile course, starting roughly opposite the stands at the beginning of the back straight, is generally considered a fair test of a racehorse.

Nerdy fact: Sandown was Britain's first wholly enclosed racecourse, no free parts you could get into, unlike Epsom even today.

[Taff]

http://raeguest.com/

I'm not sure how often the site will be updated Re:California Chrome

[TJ]

http://raeguest.com/

I'm not sure how often the site will be updated Re:California Chrome

Thanks Taff, he looks great reaching for the moon in that gallop, especially over a much deeper turf course then he's seen here in the States. Hope Mr Guest updates again for this week. TJ

[Taff]

Taff wrote: "American bred going right handed?........No way!"

European horses routinely come to North America and successfully adjust to racing left handed. What's the difference?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry I haven't answered your question sooner, here in the U.K. there are 22 left handed tracks, so British horses don't have to adjust, please correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think you have any Right-Handed tracks.You have't asked for my opinion about CC chances, but I'll give it anyway, I think he will be lucky to make the Frame.
Good Luck.

[Patuxet]

Thanks for the new information, Taff. I know from experience that there are some left-handed tracks in Germany, but I've only been to right-handed ones in the UK.

On another thread TJ suggests that US-raced horses change leads more effectively. Do you have any insight on why that would be of less concern to trainers in other racing jurisdictions?

[Patuxet]

Sorry, uncorrectable double post

[Taff]

Thanks for the new information, Taff. I know from experience that there are some left-handed tracks in Germany, but I've only been to right-handed ones in the UK.

On another thread TJ suggests that US-raced horses change leads more effectively. Do you have any insight on why that would be of less concern to trainers in other racing jurisdictions?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The only right-handed all weather track here is Kempton where I have a Lay bet system if the favourite is American bred, US bred horses may change leads but not on sharp bends in my experience of watching, the point I'm trying to make about CC is that he has won the two legs of the Triple Crown, came second in the Dubai World Cup, why run the horse on an undulating/Galloping/ uphill finish,There is Nothing else for him to prove, maybe the owners want to dress up in Top hats.

[TJ]

Thanks for the new information, Taff. I know from experience that there are some left-handed tracks in Germany, but I've only been to right-handed ones in the UK.

On another thread TJ suggests that US-raced horses change leads more effectively. Do you have any insight on why that would be of less concern to trainers in other racing jurisdictions?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The only right-handed all weather track here is Kempton where I have a Lay bet system if the favourite is American bred, US bred horses may change leads but not on sharp bends in my experience of watching, the point I'm trying to make about CC is that he has won the two legs of the Triple Crown, came second in the Dubai World Cup, why run the horse on an undulating/Galloping/ uphill finish,There is Nothing else for him to prove, maybe the owners want to dress up in Top hats.

Hi Taff,
I agree with your feelings about California Chrome, especially concerning his owners:>) There was so much more for him to prove here in the States....he was still thought of as the 2nd best of his crop to Shared Belief.
Relating to Patuxet's comment, I didn't suggest US raced horses switch more effectively, it's simply a must here and an important part of their early training considering the shape of our tracks here. When they don't switch as they should going into or out of the turns, it will cause them to lose a race they very well might have won if they switched. Most recent case in point, Firing Line who didn't switch leads in the Derby compromising his closing effort. I can go back to a little known occurrence, when Alydar never switched leads in any of his close decisions in his TC races vs. Affirmed. It matters here and if a horse doesn't switch, there is usually a problem arising. Watch the head on view of the Derby (at 4:33 of the video..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwMuXuS4kyE ) and you can see Firing Line clearly on the wrong lead and Stevens hitting him left handed (causing him to drift in) in an attempt to get him over to his right lead, which never happened. In the Derby Mubtaahij as well ran the entire distance on his left lead as he also did in winning the UAE Derby. Very glad to see him sticking around for the Belmont, because he is a better horses then he showed in the Derby. The reporters here are in a fog, as he worked twice at Belmont Park and not one mention if he switched leads. Taff, is there any coverage on your side of the pond about Mubtaahij or California Chrome or are your sportscasters in a similar fog? Keep us posted if you hear anything, enjoy your insight and reading your perspective. TJ
....PS, here's an update....we do have one knowledgeable reporter/clocker here in the states and he just reported a fair 5/8ths work for Mubtaahij, that being his third in a week....he noted he did switch leads on cue!! TJ

[Taffy]

Hi TJ,
Too early for anyone to comment on California Chrome,to be honest I think he will be regarded as something of a novelty, The Royal Ascot meeting is on the social calendar of the Hooray Henry's who are more interested in swigging Champagne and being seen, nevertheless I will do my best to update you. I have checked the sire of CC and he has never ran here, so there's not much to go on.
I have re- registered as Taffy for iPad use.