California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

General racing discussion.

Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby TJ » Wed Jul 08, 2015 5:39 pm

Cree wrote:I thought he was looking good in England.

Maybe the travel really got to him? They can drop a bunch of weight fretting and what-not (at least I know my TB can).

Hi Cree,
Yes of course it's possible he dropped weight from the trip, but most of that should have been water weight. Yet his overall muscle mass doesn't appear to be where it was last year after he ran in all three TC races. Hopefully he will turn around quickly in the hands of his old groom, those two got along very well together. TJ

Cree
Eclipse Champion
Posts: 2307
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:34 pm

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby Cree » Wed Jul 08, 2015 6:48 pm

Don't get me wrong, I think he looks terrible in the newer picture.
I feel sorry for him, he's a nice horse and I think they were crazy to waste half the year (ok, 3 months) on England. Who knows what he could've been doing here instead of whatever he was doing over there. The owner should be ashamed of himself.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby geowarrior » Thu Jul 09, 2015 12:35 pm

The neck in particular does look suspect. He could have lost a bit during travel, but it's his whole structure that looks weak.

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby TJ » Thu Jul 09, 2015 3:09 pm

The good news is Chrome is out of quarantine. The not so good news is some of the Chromies have been getting hostile over CC's condition....prompting threats of editing or banning certain posters? In turn prompting the Coburn's to post this on facebook.
Many people on several different social media sites have concerns about Chrome's weight. It is our belief that he needs to put on about 150 pounds. We appreciate all of your concerns and hope that you all know that he is in the best hands with Raul and Anna. His health and well-being is our top concern and we are confident that now that he is home and with people he is familiar with things will only get better. Please think positive thoughts as he starts the rest of his U.S. campaign
To add to this, it seems the exercise rider, Anna Wells now has a trainers license and will be subbing for Art Sherman till he finds the time to get out to see him? The challenge I see is with a little over 5 weeks to train and get him race ready...and at the same time try to add 150 pounds to his frame, might not be such an easy task. The biggest question I have is why wasn't Art Sherman on the first plane out of California to see his Derby and Preakness winner?? TJ

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby TJ » Thu Jul 09, 2015 3:46 pm

California Chrome and his groom Raul Rodriguez always had a special relationship. There is little doubt in my mind CC is happy to see him again. The horse looks so much better all ready. He's still in need of that 150 lbs. Coburn said he dropped....but he looks so much better in just a couple days with Raul. He is expected to breeze next week and Alan Sherman is supposed to be on hand. Let's hope he works well and continues to pick up those lost pounds....he's got no wiggle room, so everything has to go perfectly. Then again CC also has that Dubai curse to contend with....turf champ, Main Sequence couldn't cope with the curse in the UN Handicap. You will be glad to see the picture below taken today, I was:>) TJ
https://www.facebook.com/83595753311848 ... =1&theater

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby geowarrior » Thu Jul 09, 2015 5:23 pm

There is no wiggle room to get him to the Million. He does look a little better, but 150 lbs is quite a bit underweight, and Chrome doesn't run that well fresh. TJ, do you think Art didn't go see him because he's not confident Chrome can make it to the Million?

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby TJ » Thu Jul 09, 2015 8:35 pm

geowarrior wrote:There is no wiggle room to get him to the Million. He does look a little better, but 150 lbs is quite a bit underweight, and Chrome doesn't run that well fresh. TJ, do you think Art didn't go see him because he's not confident Chrome can make it to the Million?

Hi Geo,
I really don't know what to make of it. Chrome put Art Sherman on the map and he's been extremely outspoken when CC was left behind in England. Yet Art goes along....and maybe it's just to get along? I don't know....but him not meeting Chrome when he came to America makes no sense, the horse has done so much for him. He wouldn't leave the horse to be sent to the chopping block, just because he doesn't think he can win. He cares too much for Chrome and I'm sure he would try to prevent him from making a start in the Million, if he thought he wasn't ready or wouldn't perform well. I keep thinking there is untold friction between him and Perry Martin, the owner who plans his race schedule? Chrome's 1/2 sister, a very nice 2YO filly, was given to Art's other son to train....why would the owners do that to Art? I think there's a lot going on behind the scenes we'll never know about in this unusual owner, trainer relationship? TJ

Cree
Eclipse Champion
Posts: 2307
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:34 pm

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby Cree » Fri Jul 10, 2015 4:36 am

Another reason why owners should let the trainers TRAIN.

There is definitely something going on behind the scenes!!! This Martin guy is a basket of nuts.
What I don't understand is, well, basically the whole thing. Chrome put in 2 gallant efforts earlier in the year running 2nd to Shared Belief, and a 2nd in the Dubai World Cup (no shame there).
Then they send the poor fellow to England to train to be a turf star at Ascot. Nothing wrong with that, if the horse is fine and dandy. He looked pretty good for awhile (in pictures, IMO). I don't understand how he went so downhill. No starts there due to slowness to get the hang of it, and injury.
Send him back with (most likely) not enough time to make a race he was pointing for.
Next step... get him right, gain some weight. PUT HIM BACK ON DIRT.

I've worked at the track, and I know the trainer I worked for had some real humdingers for owners, but Martin is a royal pain.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby geowarrior » Fri Jul 10, 2015 11:13 am

I do not understand how Chrome has lost so much conditioning in such a short time. I agree with Cree he looked good while galloping in England.

The whole story has yet to be told, I daresay, but I'm sure it will go down in the annals as one of the pinnacles of mismanagement of a good horse.

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby TJ » Sun Jul 12, 2015 3:39 pm

That's it for California Chrome, he's out of the Arlington Million and likely done for 2015 due to a bruised cannon bone. TJ
http://www.drf.com/news/california-chro ... ear-injury

Cree
Eclipse Champion
Posts: 2307
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:34 pm

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby Cree » Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:30 pm

Bizarro year for this horse.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby geowarrior » Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:03 am

These partners are giving Dumb Asses a bad name.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby geowarrior » Mon Jul 13, 2015 1:18 pm

Apparently the Coburns learned of CC's injury and withdrawal from the Million on Facebook.

Seems the Dumb Ass partners are partners in name only these days.

User avatar
geowarrior
Leading Sire
Posts: 3593
Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:45 pm
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby geowarrior » Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:06 am

And now not even partners in name http://www.paulickreport.com/news/bloodstock/taylor-made-buys-coburn-interest-in-chrome-colt-may-race-again/.

The Coburns are also taking down their Chrome Facebook page. I wonder what will happen to Love The Chase and all of the full siblings of California Chrome?

jellac
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1542
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 6:46 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: California Chrome Headed to Royal Ascot

Postby jellac » Thu Jul 16, 2015 4:00 pm

Geowarrior - I seem to recall that I read an item just in the last few days about Hopes Love, Chromie's full sibling/sister. She came in second in her debut recently...and I'm kind of remembering that her trainer (one of the Sherman's/not Art) had noted a slight offness in her walk, especially on concrete, insisted on having a nuclear scan which showed a hairline crack of the shoulder while an earlier X-ray had not. Credit was given to her trainer by the majority partner for having the eye and persistence to look more deeply into what he thought he saw. He characterized her as being a very different body type but having a nice, smooth stride despite being short and as a 2YO she has time on her side. Hopefully she'll grow a bit more during this time off.


Edited to provide link:

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/93041/chrome-sister-hopes-love-sidelined