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Just won the Preakness in impressive style. Question is, can he now win the Belmont and become the first American Triple Crown winner since 1978 ? It would be great to see but won’t be easy. Different track, longer distance and a better field. Also, I believe he was wearing nasal strips today and understand they are not allowed in New York. Wondering if that will make a difference.
Thought the RUK show was excellent. Three hours dedicated to the race. Excellent work from Angus Mcnae, James Willougby and Mark Milligan from Timeform. Really hope they do the Belmont.
What an amazing story and amazing horse!
I will be cheering him on come the Belmont
Here is the race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKU_BLDwK1QI wonder whether the jockey will hang on to him a bit longer in the Belmont?
To my eye Ride on Curlin was closing at the end. We have seen Triple Crown contenders go to the lead in the Belmont before and then become a sitting duck for a closer.
He has a charisma about him that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to the Belmont, as I’m sure millions are. Great for racing.
There could be a hiccup that may mean California Chrome may not take part in the Belmont. He has been wearing nasal strips but these are not allowed in New York. The owners have said he may not run if they are not allowed. It seems that the decision over whether he can wear them will be down to a vote between the local stewards. Bet they allow him to wear them.
Can ‘Chrome’ Wear Nasal Strip in Belmont?
By Claire Novak,
May 18, 2014 10:55 AM
66 CommentRead more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ … z325kd8AQ2
What an amazing story and amazing horse!
I will be cheering him on come the Belmont
Here is the race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKU_BLDwK1QI wonder whether the jockey will hang on to him a bit longer in the Belmont?
To my eye Ride on Curlin was closing at the end. We have seen Triple Crown contenders go to the lead in the Belmont before and then become a sitting duck for a closer.
Victor Espinosa was forced to move early because Social Inclusion moved up and he’s the only horse with the speed to go with Chrome. SI folded like an accordion when challenged, and everyone else besides ROC was tiring.
Belmont Park has a longer stretch than both Churchill and Pimlico. A lot of horses have lost the Belmont because their jockeys made the usual move at the top of the stretch. The race isn’t really won by closers so much as by horses with smarter jockeys.
Looks like gutless NYRA have caved in. No backbone. Brings them into disrepute in my opinion.
Looks like gutless NYRA have caved in. No backbone. Brings them into disrepute in my opinion.
A nasal strip is allowed in literally every other racing jurisdiction in the United States. Including the Standardbred tracks in New York state. There has to be a uniform set of rules.
It’s not like the strips actually work the way they are advertised (decreasing the risk of bleeding)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11356805/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11509541/
They certainly aren’t performance enhancing, so if CC’s connections are that superstitious about keeping a piece of adhesive on the horse’s nose, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be allowed to.Always good to hear your incisive comments Miss Woodford.
But …. the disappointment of the last 36 years has worn people down in the hope of a TC winner.2012 — I’ll Have Another (scratched).
2008 — Big Brown (9th, eased, 1st Da’ Tara).
2004 — Smarty Jones (2nd, 1len Birdstone).
2003 — Funny Cide (3rd, 5len Empire Maker).
2002 — War Emblem (8th, 19½len Sarava).
1999 — Charismatic (3rd, 1½len Lemon Drop Kid).
1998 — Real Quiet (2nd, nose Victory Gallop).
1997 — Silver Charm (2nd, ¾len Touch Gold).
1989 — Sunday Silence (2nd, 8len Easy Goer).
1987 — Alysheba (4th, 14¼len Bet Twice).
1981 — Pleasant Colony (3rd, 1½len Summing).
1979 — Spectacular Bid (3rd, 3¼len Coastal).
You have to admit a very impressive lineup. Is California Chrome different to all these horses? Time will tell. He could be a freak but history has told us he will be added to this list. Whether he stays a mile and a half is open to conjecture. The possibility this is not a great crop of three-year-olds in the US could be the difference between winning and losing the Belmont.
Cheers
SlewmanNasal strips are quite popular in eventing. Then again lots of riders choose not to use them.
Personally I think they are of limited utility. If a horse is a bleeder the issue is higher up and no amount of sticking plaster on the nose is going to sort that.
The same can be said of laryngeal paralysis of any kind.
Where I do think the nasal strips may help is on a horse with very soft nasal passages. The nostrils tend to collapse more and could well inhibit breathing slightly. In theory the strip holds the nostrils in a stiff dilated position in order to aid the passage of air.
Having said that I have tried the nasal strips on my horses before and frankly I did not notice any difference.
I agree with Slewman based on my observations of Triple Crown candidates over the years.
It is a tough call winning three races so closely scheduled and the extra distance usually finds them out, whether that be down to jockey error or just the stamina question.
Miss Woodford knows about a million percent more than I do about racing in the USA and will be able to tell us if the stand out UK price of 6/4 California Chrome (Ladbrokes) is worth a wager. Hills go 10/11 so opinion clearly differs.
Camelot almost pulled off the UK Triple Crown and I don’t think he was that great a horse. Scrambled home in a bad Guineas, won one of the worst Derby races I can recall and just lost out to a Godolphin horse in the Leger. That shows that a "vin ordinaire" crop of horses can throw an individual to the top of the pile. If California Chrome does pull it off comparisons with previous achievers will no doubt be the next port of call.
I’ll stick my 2 cents worth on at 6/4
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I agree with Slewman based on my observations of Triple Crown candidates over the years.
It is a tough call winning three races so closely scheduled and the extra distance usually finds them out, whether that be down to jockey error or just the stamina question.
Miss Woodford knows about a million percent more than I do about racing in the USA and will be able to tell us if the stand out UK price of 6/4 California Chrome (Ladbrokes) is worth a wager. Hills go 10/11 so opinion clearly differs.
Camelot almost pulled off the UK Triple Crown and I don’t think he was that great a horse. Scrambled home in a bad Guineas, won one of the worst Derby races I can recall and just lost out to a Godolphin horse in the Leger. That shows that a "vin ordinaire" crop of horses can throw an individual to the top of the pile. If California Chrome does pull it off comparisons with previous achievers will no doubt be the next port of call.
I’ll stick my 2 cents worth on at 6/4
Chrome will definitely be odds-on on raceday, even as low as 1/9. Not because people think he’s a sure shot to win but because they want the tickets as souvenirs! I’ve seen $2 win tickets for the Kentucky Derby sell on eBay for $50 or more – that’s a better payoff than you’d get for actually cashing the ticket.
The difference between Chrome and many of the previous TC failures is his ability to make his own trip. He’s got a versatile running style that will serve him well in the Belmont. Most TC winners won their Belmont wire-to-wire or pressing the pace. I trust Victor Espinosa to give him a winning ride. My main worry (other than the freak injury situation like Charismatic and Big Brown) is that a "fresh" horse coming off of 5 weeks rest will sneak past him at the last minute.
What is the story behind California Chrome, by the way?
Ladies and gentlemen, once again we see a horse who cannot win at 2400m. Miss Woodford, as much as I don’t want to say it. But US racing has taken a downward spiral over the last 30 years due to the fact that the breed is not tough enough to run a mile and a half. The winner of the Belmont Gold Cup over two miles on Friday ran the amazing time of 3min 26 sec. The record in Australia’s Melbourne Cup is 3min 15sec for two miles. What I’m trying to say is breeders breed speed not stamina. California Chrome couldn’t run 2400m down a well. Sad really, just like Sunday Silence, Alysheba, War Emblem and Smarty Jones. Horses like Citation and Affirmed came from strong staying pedigrees. Those days are gone.
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