California Chrome

Trainer Art Sherman, best known for conditioning dual Classic winner California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), plans to retire at the end of the year. The story was originally published by the Blood-Horse. Upon his retirement, the 84-year-old's horses will likely be split between his sons Steve and Alan. In addition to traveling and spending time with his family, the elder Sherman will do a little bloodstock work. Sherman was an exercise rider and jockey prior to taking up training. He was the regular exercise rider of Hall of Famer Swaps. Sherman's...

The foal session of the JRHA Select Sale is normally the headline-grabber, but the presence of four yearlings from the final crop of the late, great Deep Impact (Jpn) during Monday's opening session could just steal the show during the two-day sale in Hokkaido. Deep Impact, the Triple Crown winner and breed-shaping sire, died on July 29, 2019, having missed much of the preceding covering season with the spinal issues that ultimately took his life. His small final crop was expected to contain around 20 foals, four of which will...

She's still only 28, and it isn't three years since she started training. Yet a first graded stakes success for Anna Meah last weekend was welcomed with a depth of perspective extending both forward and back. On the one hand, she has always been a woman in a hurry: however crammed the automobile she drove south from Washington in December 2012, her heart set on finding a backstretch job in California, the years since have been no less packed with experience. Indeed, the veteran trainer of a small string at...

Denise Martin, the co-owner of California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), passed away June 14 at the age of 61. Martin and partners found the heights of success with the two-time Horse of the Year. The popular seven-time Grade I winner, whose victories included the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Dubai World Cup, currently stands in Japan. Martin was the wife of Perry Martin, who also co-bred California Chrome. The couple split from their partners in the horse and founded Martin Racing in 2016, the same year California Chrome won his second Horse...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 3rd-KEE, $79K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 2:12 p.m. ET OXO Equine LLC's Primary Endpoint (Pioneerof the Nile) makes his debut in a salty-looking Keeneland maiden special weight Saturday. The $600,000 Fasig-Tipton November '18 weanling is a half to none other than two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit). Brad Cox has been preparing the bay at Fair Grounds for this. Curlin Lane (Curlin) was a $500,000 KEESEP yearling buy by Albaugh Family Stables. The Dale Romans pupil is out of a SW/GSP mare...

As Covid travel restrictions prompted delays and relocations, last season's breeze-up sales were anything but plain sailing for many consignors. Some consolation was found on Thursday at Chantilly for Tom Whitehead of Powerstown Stud, who celebrated two first-time-out winners with Keeneland yearling purchases. The first race of the day, the Prix du Rond du Manege, went to Bellharbour Music, a May-foaled colt from the first crop of Mshawish, bought in September 2019 from Brookdale Sales for $30,000. Now trained in Chantilly by Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti, Bellharbour Music is still...

Faversham (Lucky Pulpit--Love the Chase, by  Not For Love), a two-time winner and full-brother to two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, has been retired from racing to stand at Daehling Ranch in Northern California. His 2021 fee is $2,000, live foal guarantee. Lifetime breeding rights are available for $4,500. The 5-year-old was campaigned by his co-breeders, Perry and Denise Martin of Martin Racing, who also co-bred and raced California Chrome. After standing his first three seasons in Kentucky, with two additional Southern Hemisphere stints in Chile, California Chrome was...

8th-Woodbine, C$83,390, Msw, 10-8, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (AWT), 1:03.38, ft, 5 1/2 lengths. CALIFORNIA LILY (f, 2, California Chrome--Wildcat Lily {GSW & MGISP, $477,165}, by D'wildcat) was favored at first asking by just less than $2,000 and became the sixth winner for her freshman sire (by Lucky Pulpit) with an impressive debut success in Thursday's finale from Woodbine. Quickly into stride beneath Rafael Hernandez, the blaze-faced chestnut set the pace with a bit of pressure to her outside for the opening couple of furlongs. But she pinched a break...

4th-Churchill Downs, $69,074, Msw, 9-20, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.50, ft. DECADE (f, 2, California Chrome--Emma Carly, by Unbridled's Song) was pounded down to 1-5  after a close-up second in her career debut at Ellis Aug. 15. Firster Color of Dawn (Exxaggerator) jumped to the lead early and Decade was hustled into a stalking position through an initial quarter in :22.82. Asked for more by Ricardo Santana Jr. leaving the far turn, the heavy favorite collared Color of Dawn and was on equal terms with her rival turning for home....

When Amr Zedan's first involvement with horse racing came as a partner in G1 Dubai World Cup winner California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), the Saudi businessman assumed he'd found an easy game and jumped in with both feet with several notable purchases at the 2017 juvenile sales. But the group failed to find the success he dreamed of and he decided to take a step back and regroup. After a meeting with legendary trainer Bob Baffert two years ago and a nudge from his wife, Princess Noor bint Asem, Zedan decided...

Raul Reyes of King's Equine sent out two of the four bullet furlong workers at the final day of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale breeze show Saturday. "They both breezed well, no surprises," Reyes said. "They have both been training well all around." One of Reyes's bullet workers was Hip 1179, a NY-bred son of Honor Code (video). Consigned on behalf of breeder Pine Ridge Stables, the colt is out of the stakes-placed Indian Charlie mare Indian Rush, who is also responsible for stakes winner's March X Press...

Ciaran Dunne's Wavertree Stables was on fire Friday at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training breeze show. The Irishman sent out one of two :20 2/5 bullet breezers, as well as four juveniles who worked in :20 3/5. "It was a great day," Dunne said. "I don't want to say it was unexpected because it wasn't, but it is very rare that everything goes exactly as you hoped. We felt we were loaded coming into today. We had some nice horses throughout the week, but...