Not since Cyrano de Bergerac and Pinocchio has a nose gotten so much attention. To 'win by a nose' might take on new meaning. California Chrome, the three-year old colt who won the first two legs of horse racing's most famous challenge, the Triple Crown, has become a rock star with undue attention being paid to his nose.
As I write this, he is still a go for the running of the Belmont Stakes on June 7, the final leg that could enter his name in the history books as the one to break a 36-year drought of Triple Crown winners.
California Chrome, whose barn name is Junior, has endeared himself to the American public. He is not just a number, a compilation of racing stats that make him a sure bet, he is a character, a quirky little equine with personality to share and strut.
Like a flashy car, the Chrome in his name refers to his bright white markings, especially his four white socks. Often considered a sign of bad luck, Chrome is defying the omen.
Then there's his face. Chrome is a rich chestnut (reddish brown) with a broad stripe of white down the middle of his face and, well, a nose to die for. It is white and pink and utterly smoochable. (Ill advised, of course, lest your pucker be mistaken for a carrot.)
What's the fuss about? Two-legged athletes are often spotted with a 'breathe-right' type strip across their proboscises, but this causes a stir for equines? At a time when there is a hue and cry to manage and restrict the use of drugs in horse racing, why should a simple, unmedicated strip worn across a horse's nose to enable his breathing passages to function clearly be an issue?
As recently as two years ago the strip would have been an issue. But for now, under new leadership of racing's governing body, permission to use the strip has been granted.
Perry and Denise Martin of California and Steve and Carolyn Coburn of Nevada are the self-described 'everyday people' who, by virtue of owning California Chrome, have been elevated to the winner's circle. (Note that Perry Martin, who owns 70 percent of the horse, is seen less often than Steve Coburn, who is easy to talk to and wears his heart on his sleeve. Martin, offended by his cool reception in Kentucky, chose not to travel to Baltimore. Perhaps he will be in New York. Coburn, however, is fully capable of representing them all.)
There is more than a heart worn on Coburn's sleeve; there is also a jackass. In fact, the brilliant purple and green silks (the favorite colors of the wives) worn by jockey Espinoza sports the now-famous jackass, symbolic of a random comment.
'When Perry and I bought the filly,' Coburn said, 'one of the barn hands said we must be dumb asses to get into this game and hence the name.'
The 'name' is Dumb Ass Partnership or DAP Racing. (Look for this trademarked moniker on future merchandise. These owners are far from dumb.)
Chrome's popularity is well-deserved. Previously shy, he has warmed to the crowds and the cameras and lets his fans in on his apparent secret: he loves to run and he loves to race. He lets the world know that when his ears prick forward, he is in the moment and ready to perform. He is curious and a bit mischievous. He 'smiles' during his showers and has a passion for Mrs. Pasture's Horse Cookies, the equivalent to his human counterparts' granola bars. He is calm in his stall but can get riled up in the gate, perhaps a signal that his eagerness is more than his body wants to absorb.
Furthermore, Chrome is a beloved family member. From an inauspicious birth to national attention, it has been only a matter of three years, but his every move is scrutinized by the media and protected by his close circle of humans.
His owners are sentimentally engaged (mind you, a race horse is not a pet, he is business; but in this case a revered and loved partner), his jockey believes in him, his exercise rider knows his every move and his dedicated groom is intimately aware of the minutiae of every minute of his daily life.
At 16 hands (a hand is a measurement of 4-inch segments from the ground to the top of the horse's withers, that bony spot at the base of the neck), Chrome is often considered a little guy along the lines of Seabiscuit, the horse who won hearts during the Depression era, and was re-popularized recently by book and movie. And like Seabiscuit, Chrome's fan base has extended well beyond the grandstand. (Who reading this has not heard of California Chrome?)
When purchase prices and stud fees are astronomical, Chrome's dam (mother) was purchased for $8,000 (compare with Fusaichi Pegasus at $64 million) and stud fees were a measly $2,000 (compare with high of $300,000).
Again, as I write this, I do not know if California Chrome will run at Belmont. What I do know, however, is that he is already a star and has earned his place in horse racing history. He has done so graciously and without criticism or scandal. He has been ridden by the same jockey for most of his career, has been attended to by the same groom, has not hopped from trainer to trainer, has not been sold, has not raised eyebrows, but has prompted hopes, cheers and tears.
Nothing will take away his victories to date. Before he was born, Steve Coburn dreamed that the colt would go on to win the Kentucky Derby. He did. He also won the Preakness. If he wins the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown, his dream will have grown and come true many times over.
Posted by Unknown on Sunday, June 1, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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