Sherman: Chrome looks as good as ever

California Chrome needed a little persuasion to go into the gate during his schooling session (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) With trainer Art Sherman looking on, California Chrome made his final preparations Friday for his return to racing in Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. Having arrived late Thursday, it was Sherman’s first look at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner since he’s come to Bensalem. “He looked great today,” Sherman said. “He was on the bit. I couldn’t be more pleased. Right now he’s as good as I’ve ever seen him.” Well aware of the layoff since his dead-heat fourth in the June 7 Belmont Stakes, and the current state of the other Penn Derby contenders, Sherman was quite frank. “They have an edge on him,” he said. “We hope he comes back sound and know what’s ahead of us. He’ll have to be at his best to best these horses. Wherever you come back you need some starting point, and for Chrome this is it.

“You always wonder in the back of your mind,” Sherman said regarding his
race-readiness, “but I’ll tell you one thing: when you put him with company,
he’s a different horse.”

Along with galloping 1 1/2 miles Friday morning, California Chrome spent
some time schooling at the gate.

“He was a little reluctant at first,”
Sherman said. “But once he was in he was fine. He’s so professional.
He does what he wants to do. You know he’s a little spoiled. We don’t
worry, though. He doesn’t kick, doesn’t do anything crazy. He’s just
Chrome.”

Much has been made this week about his post position, having drawn the rail
in the eight-horse field. The inside did not play favorably for him in the
Belmont Stakes.

“I’ll watch to see how the rail is playing,” Sherman said.
“But if he gets beat I hate to make excuses. If you have the best horse,
you have the best horse. The other jocks know he’s down there and they’ll
give him no quarter. We just hope he gets a clean trip.”

Sherman also knows how dangerous Haskell winner Bayern can be if he’s allowed
to stroll to an easy lead.

The dual classic winner got down to business in his gallop (Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) “Chrome can be a speed horse himself,” Sherman said. “But I’ll leave it up to Victor (Espinoza, Chrome’s jockey). We’ll let him judge the pace and move earlier if we need to.” Even though California Chrome’s resume includes two classic wins on top of victories in the San Felipe and the Santa Anita Derby, with the re-emergence of Shared Belief, there are some who feel the three year-old championship is not yet a done deal. “It’s always been a great honor (to win the three-year-old championship),” Sherman said. “Jerry (Hollendorfer, trainer of Shared Belief) and I have been good friends for 30 years and I’ve been chasing his butt for a long time. I’d like to kick it one time. “I would have to think the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic would earn those honors. The Breeders’ Cup Classic will probably be one of the highlights of the year, one way or the other.” Meanwhile, Shared Belief will use the September 27 Awesome Again at Santa Anita as his springboard to the Breeders’ Cup.

The undefeated champion missed the Triple Crown races due to a foot ailment,
but given ample time to recover, showed he had lost none of his ability. The
Candy Ride gelding comes off an impressive win against older rivals in the
Pacific Classic at Del Mar on August 24.

“We’ve been very fortunate to make a comeback,” Hollendorfer said Thursday
morning at Santa Anita. “He can run from anywhere; he can run near the front, he
can stalk or he can come from behind, so we’re not worried about that.”

Shared Belief’s lone race on a dirt track came in the Los Alamitos Derby July
5, when he rolled to a handy 4 1/4-length victory. Santa Anita recently
installed a new dirt track, on which Shared Belief will make his debut in the
Awesome Again.

Shared Belief is scheduled to have a four-furlong blowout on Golden Gate’s
Tapeta surface Tuesday, after which he would ship to Santa Anita.

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