140TH KENTUCKY DERBY
KENTUCKY DERBY
(G1), CD, $2,177,800, 3YO, 1 1/4M, 5-3. |
5 | CALIFORNIA CHROME, c, 3, Lucky Pulpit–Love the Chase, by Not for Love. O-Coburn, Steven and Martin, Perry, B-Perry Martin & Steve Coburn (CA), T-Art Sherman, J-Victor Espinoza, $1,417,800. | 17 | Commanding Curve, r, 3, Master Command–Mother, by Lion Hearted. ($60,000 ’12 FTKOCT; $75,000 2013 OBSAPR). O-West Point Thoroughbreds, B-T F VanMeter (KY), $400,000. | 4 | Danza, c, 3, Street Boss–Champagne Royale, by French Deputy. ($105,000 ’12 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, B-Liberation Farm & Brandywine Farm (KY), $200,000. |
Also Ran: Wicked Strong, Samraat, Dance With Fate, Ride On Curlin, Medal Count, Chitu, We Miss Artie, General a Rod, Intense Holiday, Candy Boy, Uncle Sigh, Tapiture, Harry’s Holiday, Vinceremos, Wildcat Red, Vicar’s in Trouble. | |
Winning Time: 2:03 3/5 (ft) | |
Margins: 1 3/4, 1 1/4, 2 3/4. | |
Odds: 2.50, 37.80, 8.70. |
Steve Coburn and Perry Martin’s homebred California Chrome lived up to all
“He gave me the biggest thrill I ever had in my life,” an emotional Sherman
Sherman has compared California Chrome to all-time great Swaps, another
Now 59 years later, California Chrome has taken Sherman back to the Twin
“Just awesome. I’m breathless. This is so cool,” Sherman grinned. “I think I
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“This has to be the sweetest moment of my life. To be my age and have
something like this happen, what can you say? For all my friends in California,
this is for you. We did it!”
For co-owner Coburn, the whole experience has been more than a dream come
true. California Chrome shares a birthday with his sister Brenda, who died of
cancer at age 36.
“I’ve got somebody up there very special watching us,” Coburn noted. “To see
all this happen for my partner Perry Martin, our wives, our families, to see
this dream come true that we have put so much blood, sweat and tears, our
savings, our retirement into this horse, and see this horse win the Kentucky
Derby…
“I said this horse would win the Kentucky Derby. When this horse wins the
Kentucky Derby, I said I believe this horse will win the Triple Crown. It will
be 36 years this year since there’s a Triple Crown winner,” he added. “This colt
will go down in history.”
A major plotline in this year’s Derby concerned the ownership groups donating
“I just want to mention one thing,” Espinoza said, tearing up. “One day I
“Since that time, I donate 10 percent of my earnings for all the kids that
California Chrome, who became the first California-bred to win the Derby
Breaking strongly from the gate, the Lucky Pulpit colt headed straight to the
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California Chrome and Espinoza bided their time in the second flight of
runners and began closing ground on the front runners after three-quarters in 1:11 4/5. The duo
rallied rounding the turn, hit the front in the stretch and pulled off to post an easy
1 3/4-length win in 2:03 3/5 for 1
1/4 miles over the fast track.
“I never felt in my dreams that I would win two Kentucky Derbies in my entire
career,” said Espinoza, who captured the 2002 running with War Emblem from the
same 5 post. “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.
“I think this one is more exciting for me than last one. Last one I was
young. I was kind of shocked, too. It’s like a dream now to win the second one.
“This was a typical race for him,” he explained. “He ran like he always does.
Art just said, ‘You know him, ride him.’ I had the trip I wanted. I don’t mess
with him too much. I just stretch his legs a little bit and then let him do his
thing. Pressure will be back on for the Preakness, but that’s OK.”
Sent off the 5-2 favorite, California Chrome paid $7.
Commanding Curve
“All I had to do was just ride him hard and he gave me everything,” Shaun
“I
“I would never get frustrated over that,” he added. “There’s a lot of things
When asked about the Preakness Stewart remarked, “You know, who knows? Maybe.
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Samraat completed the top five under the wire and was followed by Dance With
Fate, Ride On Curlin, Medal Count, Chitu, We Miss Artie, General a Rod, Intense
Holiday, Candy Boy, Uncle Sigh, Tapiture, Harry’s Holiday, Vinceremos, Wildcat
Red and Vicar’s In Trouble.
“I had a horrible trip,” asserted Gary Stevens, who was aboard Candy Boy. “On
“It was awesome. What a great feeling,” said Corey Lanerie in contrast after
Total attendance on Saturday was 164,906, the second highest to the
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California Chrome began his career at Hollywood Park last spring.
He was runner-up on his debut going 4 1/2 furlongs in April, broke his maiden
over the same trip in May, and next finished fifth in the Willard Proctor. The
son of Lucky Pulpit then rebounded to take the Graduation for California-breds
at Del Mar going 5 1/2 furlongs. Sixth in the Del Mar Futurity and Golden State
Juvenile at Santa Anita in his next two outings, California Chrome concluded his
two-year-old campaign with a 6 1/4-length romp in the King Glorious at Hollywood
over seven furlongs.
The King Glorious, the final stakes ever held at storied Hollywood, marked a
The flashy, aptly-named colt ventured into graded company for the March 8 San Felipe,
The $1,417,800 winner’s share of the $2,177,800 Derby purse doubled
Bred in California by his owners, California Chrome is the first registered
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Further back, one finds none other than the mighty Swaps, who has proven not only a model for
California Chrome to follow but a distant relative.
Click on the links for
jockey and
trainer quotes from the 140th Derby. Click for the
post-race transcript from the winning connections’ press conference.
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