California Chrome Book Excerpt

Perry Martin takes readers on the ride of a lifetime with his personal memoirs about breeding and racing the most successful California-bred in history in new book, California Chrome: Our Story

BY LISA GROOTHEDDE

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have a horse win the Kentucky Derby (G1) while carrying your silks? How about the Preakness Stakes (G1)? Or the Dubai World Cup (G1)?

If you’re a Californian, how do you think you would react if your homebred colt—whom you f rst saw all damp and spindly legged on the morning he was born—captured the Santa Anita Derby (G1) by daylight in the midst of a six-race win streak, then successfully mastered a new racing surface seven months later to win the venerable Hollywood Derby (G1) on turf? Or, heck, how about watching your horse win the f nal stakes race ever contested at Hollywood Park, on the very night that historic track closed its doors forever after a 75year run?

What if your color-bearer managed to retire as the highest-earning racehorse ever to compete in North America, with earnings of more than $14.7 million?

T e sport of T oroughbred racing is built for dreamers. But for California T oroughbred Breeders Association member Perry Martin, each of these fantasy scenarios became a reality when the f rst horse whose breeding and racing career he meticulously planned became the international superstar named California Chrome.

Martin has written an autobiography chronicling his remarkable journey with this California-bred two-time Horse of the Year that has now been published as a paperback titled “California Chrome: Our Story.”

With his matinee-idol looks and his athletic ability at the fore, Cal-bred California Chrome became the darling of America’s racing public

PERFECT TIMING

Five years ago this month California Chrome ended his record-breaking career to become a breeding stallion. Tis timespan means that he is now eligible for consideration in the “contemporary” category by voters representing the Racing Hall of Fame, the highest honor for any Toroughbred in North America.

“I wanted to do something meaningful to mark the fve-year anniversary of Chrome’s retirement,” Martin said. “At the same time, I wanted to state my case on why I believe this horse has the credentials to be a frst-ballot Hall of Famer. His talent and charisma allowed him to accomplish things no other horse in history has and, on a personal note, he took me and my family on an incredible worldwide journey. He deserves the recognition.”

On an even more personal level, the process of writing this book over the past several months and reliving the unique experience of campaigning America’s favorite racehorse served as a sort of catharsis for Martin, whose wife of 35 years, Denise, passed away unexpectedly last June. Te book is dedicated in her honor.

“Denise and I started tossing around the idea of putting our experiences with California Chrome down on paper a few years ago,” Martin explained. “We wanted to record history, not only for the Martin family, but for the broader audience of horse racing fans as well.

“Not only was Denise my wife, my business partner, and my traveling companion, she was the only other person who was there every step of the way with Chrome. And I do mean every step. We watched him running laps around his dam in a foaling stall at Harris Farms shortly after he was born in 2011, and we were planning a trip to visit him in Japan when the COVID-19 pandemic brought worldwide travel to a screeching halt in early 2020.

At approximately 75,000 words, Martin’s book goes into great detail about his personal and professional life experiences and his passion for horse racing and breeding theories, which led him to plan the mating that produced California Chrome. Te book also features a foreword by noted pedigree expert Rommy Faversham, as well as a race-by-race description of the Calbred’s career.

Often referred to as “the quiet one” Martin and his former business cohort, Steve Coburn, became overnight media sensations as the Dumb Ass Partners who hit pay dirt with the frst horse they ever bred. Often misquoted and misunderstood in the glaring spotlight that followed with California Chrome, Martin uses the book to confrm the truth and correct the rumors that have punctuated his sometimes controversial public persona.

ANNE M. EBERHARDT REED PALMER /CHURCHILL DOWNS A jubilant Victor Espinoza celebrates Chrome’s prowess in the Kentucky Derby while co-owner/ breeder Perry Martin hoists the gold in the winner’s circle ceremony

A trip to Dubai and the Dubai World Cup trophy awaited Martin and his wife, Denise

ANDREW WATKINS/DUBAI RACING CLUB

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

As an exclusive bonus for California Toroughbred readers and his fellow CTBA members, here is an excerpt from “Our Story,” detailing Martin’s experiences with Denise; their daughter, Kelly; and other associates, such as trainer Art Sherman and jockey Victor Espinoza, at the 2016 Dubai World Cup:

California Chrome wins the Preakness Stakes Martin admires the gleaming copper-coated California Chrome at Taylor Made Farm

CHAD B. HARMON I t was a pleasant night in Dubai on March 26, with a cool wind coming of the ocean. Our group was too large for one table, so we had several tables in the Meydan clubhouse. Te now-familiar bufet presented numerous tempting oferings to satiate our hunger and fll the time until our headline race. Some food, a little wine and some pleasant conversation would help us to ignore the building stress as the $10 million race got closer. Finally, the race previous to ours was over and we stood up to walk to the enormous saddling paddock.

We showed our passes and entered the paddock, which was isolated from the excited crowd. Tat was probably a very good idea, as some of the horses, especially Godolphin’s homebred Wood Memorial (G1) winner Frosted, were showing signs of being nervous. Frosted had two handlers, one on each side holding a tight lead rope; the gray colt, who had also won his local prep for the Dubai World Cup a month earlier, was tugging against both of them while his owner, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, and his wife looked on in admiration.

California Chrome was his normal, composed self, content to follow Raul along his oval walking path in his assigned area. No nervous behavior here. It seemed a longer delay between races than normal, but I was hoping it would drag out even longer, as the agitated horses were expending their energy on their handlers. Better for them to use their mojo here than on the racetrack.

With the call of “Riders up!” Denise and I followed the horses out to the track, diverting our path before we hit the dirt track surface. We found a less congested area on the track apron from which to watch the race. As the horses paraded, we surveyed our surroundings.

We spotted Kelly standing down by the rail. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, was standing next to her. Earlier in the day, Kelly had wandered into the Royal Enclosure and Sheikh Hamdan had befriended her when the Royal Guards had surrounded her after discovering their and her mistake. We also saw Art, the Taylors, and several syndicate members in a nearby group. Everyone wanted to be close to the action. Mere seconds after loading into the 11th stall of the 12-full starting gate, Chrome broke like a rocket when the metal doors opened. He was instantly able to put all of that energy he had conserved in the paddock to use when

Victor shook the reins leaving the gate. He hustled quickly to be up among the leaders on the outside; then Victor seemed happy to bide his time there, remaining four-wide on the frst turn. I remember thinking to myself, “Damn, Victor; four-wide, really?”

We would need to run much faster than the other horses, since we were running farther. When asked in the post-race news conference what I was thinking during the race, I made the mistake of telling the truth. Here’s a tip for you if you ever fnd yourself in a situation like this: Don’t ever do that; always have some polite lie ready in advance. Te unsocial media pages really let me have it after I made my honest comments about Victor’s ride. Whatever! Troughout most of the 2,000-meter race, Chrome stayed in his outside path among the leaders, where he could avoid any kickback or trouble that might stem from the closely packed feld.

Running four-wide as he entered the stretch, Chrome found another gear and kicked for home. Frosted approached Chrome on the outside and tried to go with him, to no avail. With the Meydan crowd going wild in the desert night, Chrome burst into the lead as the track announcer exclaimed, “California

Chrome has gone into overdrive!” When our horse few past us, I suddenly noticed his girth strap had not been tightened properly, and his saddle had slipped back to his fank. Oh no. I crossed my fngers and squeezed my fsts very tightly while hoping Victor would not fall of or that Chrome would start bucking in irritation. In my fog of immediate worries, I vaguely remember hearing the announcer calling, “It’s alchemy in Dubai;

Chrome turns to gold!” With a clear lead now secured, Victor eased up and coasted Chrome past the wire for a comfortable win margin. I saw

Sheikh Hamdan congratulating Kelly as she excitedly jumped up about two feet in the air. We had won the world’s richest race, and the $6 million paycheck allowed California Chrome to surpass 2007-2008 Horse of the Year

Curlin as North America’s highest-earning Toroughbred in history!

In addition, we had beat the best the world had to ofer, and set a new COURTESY OF DENISE MARTIN track record of 2:01.83 despite a wide gate draw, a wide trip and just coasting home at the end. Te plan was coming together.” California Chrome: Our Story is available for purchase online at chromeourstory.com/. Each copy of the paperback book is $17.99. Te frst 1,000 copies purchased will be signed by the author. Copies will also be available during a cross-country book tour that Martin is planning for 2022.