Triple Crown hopeful California Chrome on Wednesday picked back up where he
left off the previous day, showing the same eagerness he displayed a day earlier
when
galloping his customary two-mile circuit on an overcast morning at Belmont
Park.
“Yesterday he pulled, and today he pulled farther,” said Willie Delgado,
California Chrome’s exercise rider. “And then he pulled up and he wasn’t even
blowing out a match. Fitness wise, he’s fit. Come the day of the race, like I
always said, it’s all up to him and God. I can’t say enough. He’s really, really
improving. Like I’ve always said, after each race he got better. He’s out on
weight, he’s gotten stronger.”
The son of Lucky Pulpit is hoping to become the first Triple Crown winner in
36 years, after sweeping the first two legs in sensational fashion.
“He went really strong today; he was feeling good,” said Alan Sherman, the
son of California Chrome’s trainer, Art Sherman.
The Belmont Stakes field — already a formidable bunch — got a little deeper
in the past week with the additions of Matterhorn, Matuszak, and Medal Count,
but Sherman remained unfazed.
“It’s going to be a tough race; they’re all good horses,” Sherman said. “All
we have to do is just do our thing and have him run his race and I think we’ll
be all right.”
The chestnut colt — owned by Steve Coburn and Perry Martin — is still on
track to have an official workout over the Belmont oval this Saturday at a time
that, according to Alan Sherman, that will depend on when jockey Victor Espinoza
arrives.
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