Thoroughbred Today October 2016

Thoroughbred Today Breeders’ Cup Edition

CALIFORNIA CHROME Six-Pages of Exclusive Content!

Plus, a candid Victor Espinoza on Chrome, his career, and falling back in love with the sport.

Also Inside: Meet the cast of NBC’s Breeders’ Cup broadcast, How to bet the Breeders’ Cup, A heartfelt tribute to American Pharoah and more!

October 2016

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Thoroughbred Today

This issue of Thoroughbred Today magazine is one I hold dear to my heart because of the impact California Chrome has had on my life.

Publisher

Robert G. Ingersoll once said, “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

This issue is about personal growth; about how our adversities shape us, require us to be courageous and push us to reach our full potential. Do you ever take time to think about where you started and appreciate how far you’ve come? In 2014, I flew out west to attend the Breeders’ Cup World Championships for the very first time, all because of a chestnut colt named California Chrome. Two years ago, Chrome’s three-year-old season had been marred by his Triple Crown loss and he was fighting to earn respect. Today, he is ranked the World’s Best Racehorse and is preparing to make his second start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, looking and doing better than any of us ever thought possible. His story is one of the most inspirational of our time, teaching us to fight for what we love and never lose heart despite the difficulties we are sure to encounter along the way.

Everything Equestrian, LLC. Wilmington, DE.

www.everythingeq.com Editor-In-Chief Claudia L. Ruiz

As I prepare to head back to Santa Anita for my third Breeders’ Cup, the feeling of deja-vu is overwhelming. These past two years have been the greatest of my life; I’ve learned so much and met so many amazing people. All thanks to California Chrome.

Managing Editor

Thank you to all of our contributing writers and photographers, to Santa Anita Park, HRRN and the Breeders’ Cup for helping us spread the word about Thoroughbred Today, and to our advertisers for supporting our vision.

Cover Photography

Best of luck to all those running in this year’s Breeders’ Cup!

Contributing Writers

Contents 20 Alphabet Soup

03 Breeders’ Cup Watch List

Seven longshots with potential to make you big bucks!

Haveyougoneaway takes aim in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

It takes a small army to put on the Breeders’ Cup broadcast

You’ll want to look into them

Photographers Ciara Bowen, Mary Ellet, Eric Kalet, Jay Moran, Amanda Murphy, Delaney Witbrod

Advertising 302.394.9233 admin@everythingeq.com

CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA /everythingeq

12 Handicapping the Breeders’ Cup

21 Meet the Cast of NBC

American Pharoah

Twenty years after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic

25 Longshots Cont’d

07 Paying Tribute

Amanda Murphy

Christopher Ado, Ciara Bowen, Megan Devine, Jonathan Stettin, Delaney Witbrod

Editor-In-Chief Thoroughbred Today

05 New Kids on the Block

Lauren Lima

A guide by Jonathan Stettin

@EverythingEqLLC

@everythingeqllc

On The cover: CALIFORNIA CHROME A Six-Page Exclusive Worth Reading

pg. #13-18

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Breeders’ Cup

Watch Li s t Santa Anita Betting Ambassador Christopher Ado knows a thing or two about betting the races. If you want to strike gold, you need to use a longshot. Here are 7 horses you need to keep an eye on...

Twin Spires Sprint

X Y JET

(Kantharos – Soldiersingsblues, by Lost Soldier)

Trainer: Jorge Navarro Jockey: Emisael Jaramillo

Age: 4yo Sex: Gelding

2016 Stats: 4-2-1-0

This Florida-bred gelding enters the Breeders’ Cup Sprint off a fifth-place finish in the Gr.1 Vosburgh, but one can find plenty of reasons for his poor effort. For starters, he ran off a six month layoff after suffering a minor injury in the Gr.1 Golden Shaheen in Dubai. In his comeback, at Belmont Park, he ran over a muddy and sealed main track and did not take to it well. X Y Jet merits consideration in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint as the race is more than likely to be run over a fast, speed favoring track.

Mile

ALICE SPRINGS (IRE)

(Galileo – Aleagueoftheirown, by Danehill Dancer)

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien Jockey: Ryan Moore

Age: 3yo Sex: Filly

2016 Stats: 8-3-0-3

She is a 3x Group 1 winner this year, with her most impressive victory coming in the Gr.1 Rock Matron Stakes over a strong field of fillies. She swallowed her opposition in that race, unleashing a devastating late kick that led to a 3 ¼ length victory. In the Gr.1 Sun Chariot Stakes, she found herself covered up behind horses in mid-pack, but then wore down rivals and pulled clear in comfortable fashion. She adores firm turf and the fast pace will compliment her well. If she can reproduce her form from the Rock Matron Stakes or Falmouth Stakes, she might be able to take down Tepin.

Filly & Mare Turf

PLEASCACH (IRE)

(Teofilo – Toirneach, by Thunder Gulch)

Trainer: James Bolger Jockey: Kevin Manning

Age: 4yo Sex: Filly

2016 Stats: 1-0-1-0

As a three-year-old, Pleascach captured three graded stakes including two Gr.1’s and then finished her 2015 campaign with a fourth place finish in the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes behind subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Golden Horn. This year, after a year-long layoff, she ran a very game second in the prestigious Prix de l’Opera, missing by just one head. It was a superb comeback effort. This daughter of Teofilo has shown ability to stalk before making her move on the stretch. She will be making her second start of 2016 and has potential to pull an upset.

Continued on p.25 Photo: Ciara Bowen

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New Kids on the Block Haveyougoneaway and trainer Tom Morley have come a long way from where they started, and are about to make their first start on the biggest stage in the sport – the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

By: Claudia L. Ruiz

A

little over one year ago, a chestnut mare by the name of Haveyougoneaway stood in the starting gate at Remington Park eagerly awaiting the start of the Flashy Lady Stakes. She broke with eight other fillies and mares, taking her time at the start and beginning to move as the field entered the far turn. Four wide and in hot pursuit of pacesetter Adrianne G, Haveyougoneaway put a nose in front as they entered the stretch. She continued to open and hit the wire 4 ¼ lengths in front. Nineteen months and eighteen starts after her career debut, she had finally won her first stakes.

Meanwhile, all the way in New York, trainer Tom Morley was at Belmont Park going about his usual Sunday routine. He had yet to win a stakes race and was still searching for that one horse that would take his career to the next level. Little did he know that five months later that very horse would be shipping into his barn.

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After winning the Flashy Lady Stakes in September 2015, Haveyougoneaway rounded out her four-year-old campaign with a fifth place finish in the Zia Park Distaff. She then shipped to Oaklawn Park and started off her five-year-old season with a win in the American Beauty Stakes – beating Sarah Sis by a neck on January 23 – and one month later went on to win the Spring Fever Stakes.

A New-York-bred, born on February 8, 2011, Haveyougoneaway is by Congrats and out of the Wiseman’s Ferry mare One Wise Cowgirl. She first went to auction in the FasigTipton Kentucky Mixed Sale in November of 2011 and sold for $50,000; then to Saratoga’s Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearling Sale in August 2012, selling for $105,000. Eleven months later, the flashy chestnut failed to meet her $100,000 reserve at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale for Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age. Not long after, due to the passing of one of the partners in the group that owned her

in 2013, she was sent to auction one last time in November of that same year. She was hip #3512 in the Breeding Stock Sale at Keeneland and sold to Champion Racing Stable Inc. for the rock bottom price of $1,200. On February 17, 2014 – just three months later – Haveyougoneaway finally made it into the starting gate for her career debut as a three-year-old.

She finished second by 2 ¾ lengths. One month later, she returned – again in a Maiden Special Weight, but carrying one pound less and stretching out to a mile – and won by 5 ½ lengths. Of the twenty-two starts she had for trainer Allen Milligan, jockey Jareth Loveberry was onboard for eighteen, including seven of eight wins, from February 2014 to April 2016.

Trainer Tom Morley was unaware, but life as he knew it was about to change. While in Florida viewing horses at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale, Morley got a call. “She had just been purchased and we were trying to get her from Oak-

Q&A with Tom Morley Q: How do you describe Haveyougoneaway, physically?

A: “She’s a very beautiful filly, roughly about 16.1h, and she’s got a very solid build. Very big bodied.

Q: Does she have any quirks?

A: “She really loves looking up at the sky, and I haven’t a clue what it is she looks at. It’s like she sees things we don’t. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Q: In a nutshell, who is Tom Morley?

A: “I’m just a bloke from Yorkshire (England), have four brotthers, fell in love with horses when I was 12, and a Darley Flying Start grad. lawn to New York while I was walking around the sale.” She arrived at Belmont four days later, and that’s when it all started.

“Every trainer has that one horse that put them on the map. Haveyougoneaway is that horse for me. She has completely changed my career.”

She debuted for Morley back in May, beaten by 1 ½ lengths to finish second in the Critical Eye Stakes. Though she did not win, the race proved she was capable of keeping up with the tougher competitors on the New York circuit.

One morning, while Haveyougoneaway was being slowed following a gallop, Tom Morley noticed something out of the ordinary.

“She kept switching her leads, back and forth, back and forth; and I thought to myself, ‘Oh no, something’s wrong with this filly!’” The 33year-old gave his new trainee a few days off, worried that something was physically wrong.

“I couldn’t find anything wrong with her,” he said. “I sent her out three mornings after and she worked lights out. Now we know that when she starts switching [her leads] like that, she’s just desperate to do a bit more.”

Today, five months later, Morley and Haveyougoneaway have won the Dancin Renee, the Gr.II Honorable Miss, and the Gr.I Ballerina – the latter, a Win and You’re IN race guaranteeing Haveyougoneaway a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

“It’s all quite overwhelming,” Morley said of the last several months. “This has been a dream of mine since I was just a boy in England. It’s the result of countless hours of hard work and years of dedication with the hope that one day it would all pay off. I was twelve and all I wanted to be was a racehorse trainer. Now, I’m a Grade One winner at Saratoga and I’m going to the Breeders’ Cup!” Back then, the young Tom Morley envisioned a luxurious career as a trainer. He learned first-hand that it is anything but that.

“A lot of people are under the misconception that this is a glamorous job. Don’t get me wrong, there are many extraordinary events where you get to dress up and travel in private jets. But, in actuality, it’s a very small percentage of the job.”

Yet, regardless of the 4am mornings and long hours, there is nothing else the British lad would rather be doing.

As for Haveyougoneaway, since her win in the Ballerina, she has taken a milder approach to training. Just a handful of timed works – accompanied by a lot of jogging and light gallops – are scheduled for the Breeders’ Cup contender described as one of the sweetest, most easy going chestnut mares you will ever meet.

“She’s an absolute gem to be around in the barn and works with you very happily. During morning works she’ll stand until she feels like it’s her time to go. She’s a very enthusiastic

worker,” the trainer explained.

With time ticking closer to the 2016 Breeders’ Cup, one can only wonder how things will turn out for these new kids on the block.

Haveyougoneaway has already beaten several opponents in her division, including defending 2015 Filly and Mare Sprint champion Wavell Avenue, Gr.1 Acorn winner Carina Mia, multiple graded stakes winner Paulassilverlining, By the Moon, Spelling Again and rival Bar of Gold, who beat her in the Critical Eye and finished seventh in the Honorable Miss.

The five-year-old mare will ship out west on October 30. Upon settling in at Santa Anita, she will gallop over the main track once, likely four days before her race. She will have a jog day, walk the day before the race and then jog a mile on the morning of just to loosen up.

“It’s a little unconventional and some will think something is wrong; not the case. It’s what has consistently worked for her, and I don’t plan on changing it now.”

So remember, if you see her skipping from lead to lead before the big race, Tom Morley warns, “everyone better watch out, because [Haveyougoneaway] is about to explode.”

Photos (left to right): Haveyougoneaway, under jockey John Velazquez, wins the Gr.I Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga, photo by Eric Kalet; Trainer Tom Morley, photo by Jay Moran; Haveyougoneaway, portrait courtesy of Tom Morley and

by Barbara D. Livingston.

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Paying Tribute

American pharoah

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Thoroughbred Today

Photo: Eric Kalet

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The Pick 6 King’s Guide to

Handicapping the 2016 Breeders’ Cup By: Jonathan Stettin The Breeders’ Cup contains a smorgasbord of opportunities and potentially life changing major scores. It is 48 hours of the best, most competitive racing in the world, providing some of the greatest athletic competition in sports, and the chance to make a rapid exchange of cash in a matter of minutes. No other “fantasy sport” can compete with it.

As with any game based on skill, and betting on horse racing is indeed a game of skill, there are some basic do’s and don’ts. Apply these principles to increase your chances of a life changing win.

1.

Pick Your Spots! There will be plenty of opportunities, and you can beat some of the races, but you are not going to beat all of them. Pick the races you feel best about and are most confident in your selections. Those are the races to focus on. But, don’t bet each race equally; that would be a cardinal error.

2.

Wait for the draw. Throw any bias or pre-conceived notion about the outcome of any race – before it is drawn and you handicap it – out the window. Go in fresh and clean. Don’t make the mistake of thinking “I know these horses; I’ve been watching them all year”. That may be true, but every race is different. Post position and pace are factors that affect how a race is run and what the outcome will be. Examples:

A. If a horse that has been good to you all year draws an outside post in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, they are at a disadvantage. They don’t even run a mile on dirt at Santa Anita during the regular meets because they start right on the Clubhouse turn. Ouch.

B. If you like a speed horse and the race is loaded with speed, or you like an off the pace horse and there is not a lot of speed; don’t let bias cloud your judgment.

3.

Explore all wagers. Don’t get locked into one type of wager and don’t be lured into multi-race wagers like a Pick 6. You have to be right several races in a row, and on days like the Breeders’ Cup there are a lot of live horses that can beat you. Look at exactas, triples, supefectas and bets available on the board to see which ones suit you best. If you like a horse at 25-1, key him in all four slots of the superfecta. If he runs first, second, third or fourth you can still be paid handsomely. If he wins and you only used him in a multi-race wager that did not hit, it may sting for several days after the race – that’s just handicapper’s blues messing with you. It’s your money. Use it where you have the best chance at winning.

4.

Don’t be lured into the guaranteed pools. We all like big pools and big fields, but the big guarantees attract all the sharks, syndicates, rebate bettors, and algorithm users. All of the pools will be huge; you don’t need any guarantees.

5.

Don’t be complacent. Don’t assume you are familiar with how every horse will run. They print past performances for a reason, use the information to your advantage. Look at every horse in every race so that you don’t miss anything. Take notes, watch replays; do your homework and don’t take shortcuts. There are more ways to lose than win. Bet to make it count.

6.

Play aggressively in your races. It only takes one. When it looks and feels right, go for it. No fear! Scared money doesn’t win. We all go in with a shot! Take yours and make it count.

For more columns from Jonathan Stettin, The Pick 6 King, visit www.pastthewire.com Become a member of Tracking Trips – the best trip notes, spot plays, and track bias info, along with Clubhouse notes that bring you inside The Sport of Kings.

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CALIFORNIA CHROME B IGGER . B ETTER . S TRONGER .

READ THE FEATURE // PG.15 - 18

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Photo: Amanda Murphy

Chrome and I, we’ve “ California been through so much together.

I have a lot of respect for him and everything he has accomplished.

He’s my boy.

”

- Victor Espinoza

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Photo: Amanda Murphy

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Feature

Heart of Chrome Sometimes second chances are given to prove that we can be better even after we fall.

An exclusive article on California Chrome and the impact he’s had on those closest to him.

Story By: Claudia L. Ruiz

Photography: Amanda Murphy & Eric Kalet

T

wo years ago, when California Chrome loaded into the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he was a fallen champion trying to prove he still belonged.

Today, the chestnut has morphed into 10x the horse he was in 2014. He currently occupies the top spot on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, is the North American leading money earner with $13.4 million in career earnings, and his most brilliant performances have come under hand-rides in Gr.I races, including the Dubai World Cup, Pacific Classic and Awesome Again.

Bob Baffert, he piloted War Emblem in 2002 to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and took his first shot at the Triple Crown. He missed, but was happy to have been given the chance. By 2008, he had fallen off the rankings, was having difficulty getting mounts and was no longer enjoying his job.

“Deep inside I felt like I didn’t want to be a jockey anymore,” Espinoza admitted. “I would wake up in the mornings [in 2008] and go to the track because I didn’t have anything else to do. But I hated my job; I didn’t want to ride anymore.”

“He is just a once in a life time type of horse,” trainer Art Sherman said. The 79-year-old Brooklyn, NY, native got involved in racing when he was just a teenager, after a customer at his father’s barber shop suggested he would make a great jockey. He worked as stablehand, exercise rider and jockey, until finally becoming a trainer in 1979.

Critics were hard on Espinoza and never missed an opportunity to pick him apart. Yet through it all, he is thankful to all of those that berated him. “Hearing them say all these things about me over and over motivated me to work hard. I knew I could be the best again and I wanted to prove them wrong.”

When California Chrome galloped to victory in the 2014 Kentucky Derby, Sherman became the oldest trainer to win the race in its history – he was 77.

Alan Sherman, who is an assistant trainer to his father, Art, expressed, “We’ve had some good horses before and won some grade ones, but Chrome is on a different level. His career has been a life-changer for us.”

California Chrome’s Impact on Espinoza For the last three years, jockey Victor Espinoza has been on top of the world, but has overcome a lot to get where he is today; and the impact California Chrome has had on his career – and his life – has been monumental.

From 2002-2006, long before California Chrome came into the picture, Espinoza was riding a high in his career. Jockeying for trainer

The Pressures of Being The Favorite It comes with the territory, but it’s not easy living life under a microscope. As a jockey, you have to be physically and mentally prepared to handle the demands of the sport. “There are a lot of people that are going to say really awful things about you every time you make the smallest mistake. It’s really tough.”

From January 2014 to the first Saturday in May, Chrome and Espinoza would gallop to much success and blow everyone away in the Santa Anita Derby. “I remember crossing the finish line and thinking to myself, ‘I really don’t want to be the favorite in the Kentucky Derby.’”

It had been over a decade since Espinoza had ridden War Emblem to win the Kentucky Derby, but he still recalls the pressure he felt

In April 2013, while Espinoza focused on getting his head back in the game, California Chrome made his career debut at Hollywood Park. “I bet $500 on him to win,” admitted Alan Sherman. “I think he was 8-1. I don’t think he’s been anywhere close since!”

Chrome finished second under jockey Alberto Delgado, but returned to break his maiden by 2 ¾ lengths just one month later.

Delgado maintained the mount on the twoyear-old and went on to win the Graduation Stakes at Del Mar. By December, the decision was made to take him off, and that’s when Victor Espinoza was asked to take the reins.

“I didn’t think he was good enough to win the Kentucky Derby,” Espinoza said of his first ride aboard the colt. “But I saw that he had potential and that’s when I got serious about being a jockey again. I needed to be the best for California Chrome.”

Eric Kalet From left to right: California Chrome and Dortmund battle to the wire in the Gr.II San Diego; Victor Espinoza, with then co-owner Steve Coburn (right), gives California Chrome a kiss after winning the 2014 Kentucky Derby.

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going into it. “When they told me California Chrome was the favorite, I was really excited and I knew I had the best horse, but I didn’t want to have a target on my back. I had to study a lot and then hope to god I didn’t screw it up.”

Taking the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with ease, Team Chrome headed to Belmont in pursuit of the crown’s elusive third jewel. For any jockey, an opportunity to win the Triple Crown is a life-long dream that will never be realized. For Victor Espinoza, it was his second go at bat; and, though he had hoped to hit a homerun, he swung and missed – again.

Falling Short of Immortality “Dealing with the media was the hardest part,” he said. “There was a lot of criticism about how I rode California Chrome wrong.

I’m just human, I make mistakes like everyone else. But I knew I had done the best I could and I was so proud of him. A lot of things went wrong in that race. But even when I had stopped asking him, he didn’t want to give up.

He kept trying until the end.”

To this day, there are people who still believe the gash Chrome sustained above his coronet band at the start of the Belmont did not affect him. Give yourself an inch-long paper cut on the arch of your foot and go for a 1 ½-mile run, barefoot, in conditions that are least favoring to you. Unless you have nerve damage in your foot, you are sure to feel discomfort before reaching the mile.

“The people that say the cut on his heel didn’t hurt him; those are people that do not have feelings. They don’t have feelings for animals and they don’t have feelings for other people.

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Kristin Lee Photography

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He could have just quit on the turn, but he didn’t. It says a lot about the horse he is.”

a riff between the two and raised concern for the colt’s well-being.

They say that everything happens for a reason; but on June 7, 2014, when California Chrome fell 1 ¾ lengths short of immortality in the Belmont Stakes, that reason was anything but clear.

“It’s just racing luck,” trainer Art Sherman said, recalling the loss. “It’s part of the game, and you have to be able to handle it if you’re going to be in this business.”

No Business at Ascot “Nobody was ready to go to England,” Assistant trainer Alan Sherman expressed.

“Everything is different over there; the climate, the feeding program, the training. They took great care of him, but he was already a tired horse when he arrived [to Newmarket].”

Following his Triple Crown miss, California Chrome went winless on dirt for the remainder of 2014 until a switch to turf led him to win the Gr.I Hollywood Derby. The win secured him top Three-Year-Old Male and Horse of the Year honors, and he became the only horse next to Secretariat to capture a Gr.I on dirt and turf in the same year.

A Downward Spiral The 2014 Horse of the Year returned to the races in February 2015 to face-off against the late Shared Belief in the Gr. II San Antonio Handicap. Coined the “Clash of the Titans,” it was a race for the ages and one that drew the masses. But California Chrome would have to settle for second best, just as he would a month and a half later in the Dubai World Cup. He was not the horse we had seen win the Kentucky Derby; he needed to come home and rest. That is not what happened.

Instead, following his runner-up effort in Dubai, an announcement was made that the four-year-old would ship to England, targeting a start in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. The decision, which was made by majority owner Perry Martin despite the disapproval of then co-owner Steve Coburn, created

It is one thing to send a proven turf runner abroad to take on the world’s best turf horses, but California Chrome was far from proven over the surface, and quite frankly had no business at Royal Ascot.

Fate and The Fall of California Chrome You can control your destiny, but not your fate. Have you ever wanted to do something different only to have life block every single one of your attempts at doing it? That is fate signaling you are going down the wrong path, and it will set you back until you get it right.

While Perry Martin may have wanted to see his star colt run at Ascot, fate would ensure it did not happen. A couple of days before his international turf debut, California Chrome came up with a bruised hoof and was subsequently scratched from the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

On July 7, 2015, he returned to the U.S. looking to make a start on turf in the Gr.I Arlington Million. Not long after his arrival, photos began to appear all over the internet depicting a frail and dull-coated chestnut. “He came back looking like a completely different animal,” Alan Sherman said. “He really needed a break.”

Yet, despite his physical appearance and tired

Photo: Amanda Murphy

demeanor, the plan remained unchanged. That is until a veterinary exam brought everything to a complete stop.

Just five days after shipping stateside, California Chrome had been diagnosed with a bruised cannon bone and was out for the remainder of 2015. Fans were outraged, many pleading for connections to retire him. Fate had intervened again.

By mid-July, owners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn were struggling to get along and jockey Victor Espinoza was off making headlines with American Pharoah. California Chrome had fallen and his future dangled on a string.

A Blessing in Disguise Though, some may have been weary of his cannon bone bruising, Taylor Made Farm saw an opportunity to own a share in a “once in a lifetime” horse. On July 17, 2015, Taylor Made purchased a 30% share in California Chrome with the goal to bring him back and race him as a five-year-old, then stand him at stud at Taylor Made Farm in 2017.

“Taylor Made did a really great job with him,” said Alan Sherman of the care Chrome was given while on lay-up at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, KY. “He had a really big paddock with grass up to his knees; he was living the good life. To this day, I am convinced the injury was a blessing in disguise.”

The Resurrection of California Chrome There is nothing greater than watching a fallen hero make a triumphant comeback. Today, California Chrome is at the pinnacle of his career. From his coat, to his build, to the way he moves across the track, the five-year-old son of Lucky Pulpit has never looked better. He had to move mountains, but those that once downplayed his abilities now call him a superhorse – and he has rightfully earned the title.

“California Chrome is the reason I am here today,” Victor Espinoza said. “He made me fall back in love with racing, and I am so grateful to him.”

His career has been anything but perfect; yet, through it all, Chrome’s will to win has never wavered – and that is precisely why so many people adore him. He is a modern day Seabiscuit; an underdog with a heart of gold and a truly inspirational story.

“It’s been such a journey,” trainer Art Sherman said.

“When I look back now, I just think, ‘Wow, what a time we’ve had with this horse.’”

Photo: Amanda Murphy

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Celebrate Racing August 13-15, 2017 | www.equestricon.org | Saratoga Springs, NY

Alphabet Soup

A Relic in Retirement

Two decades after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the gray who outran Cigar is enjoying retirement and the many fans who stop by to visit him from all around the world.

Story and Photography By: Delaney Witbrod

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he days of loading into vans for trips from track to track – of kicking dirt in the faces of fierce competitors like the unbeatable Cigar and Preakness Stakes winner Louis Quatorze – are gone. They are distant memories for the aged gray stallion. Beneath the shade of the trees that line the side of his paddock, he stands noble; his eyes bright.

With gentle lips, he humbly takes the carrots offered up to him, his ears flitting to and fro as adoring voices tell the tale of his life.

Alphabet Soup, foaled March 31, 1991, is best known for setting the track record at Woodbine Racetrack for his 1¼ mile win in the 1996 Breeders’ Cup Classic, defeating champions Cigar and Louis Quatorze.

However, Alphabet Soup has more to his name, seizing ten wins out of his twenty-four career starts that included the Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Handicap and Native Diver Handicap in 1995, and the San Pasqual, Pat O’ Brien, and San Antonio Handicap in 1996; his earnings totaling $2,990,270 upon retirement.

Alphabet Soup entered stud in 1998 and stood until he was pensioned to Old Friends in 2015. He sired fifteen crops of racing age with 483 winners and combined progeny earnings of nearly 50 million. Among his progeny includes Our New Recruit, winner of the 2004 Dubai Golden Shaheen, Canadian champions Alpha Bettor and Phantom Light, and other G1 winners Alphabet Kisses and Egg Drop.

Nowadays, “Soup” lives an easy, stress free life at Old Friends where he’s

allowed to just “be a horse.” Three times a day, every day, the stallion goes to greet his fans by the fence, where admirers can pet and feed him carrots. He is a very popular horse on the farm, fans coming from all around the world to meet him. The gentle, kind stallion is the first horse that visitors meet on the tour, allowing guests to form a kinship at the very beginning as they dive into racehorse history.

Michael Blowen, the founder of Old Friends, talks about the handsome stallion with a big smile on his face. “He’s so gentle, he’s so kind, and he’s really handsome,” he remarks fondly about the gray. “Many fans come to see him for what he did, and they get to see him as this kind, friendly horse. When Chris McCarron came to see him, he compared him to the other horses that he rode,” Blowen says. Chris McCarron also rode Hall of Famer Precisionist, who formerly resided at Old Friends until his passing in 2006. Michael said, “When [McCarron] rode Precisionist, he didn’t have to do anything – he could just sit there and Precisionist would do all the work. But Alphabet Soup was much different, he was like riding a bike – as soon as you stopped peddling, he would stop. You always had to keep peddling.”

With his racing and breeding days long in the past, champion Alphabet Soup now spends his days in retirement, able to relax and just be a horse.

It is no longer he who travels to different tracks, now it is his fans who travel to see him, to hear his story and feed him carrots beneath the shade of the trees that line his paddock.

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Meet the Cast

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Photo: Mary Ellet

By: Megan Devine Everyone knows that a good story requires a great cast of characters. On November 4th and 5th, for the twentyseventh time, NBC will tell the story of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held at Santa Anita Park. Get to know the all-star cast and the wide variety of personalities responsible for putting on the show.

The Hosts:

Responsible for flow and presentation, they lead the show from start to end.

Tom Hammond

Laffit Pincay III

Tom has been a staple of the horse racing industry for quite some time, and so, it’s fair to assume that his blood is as blue as the grass in his hometown of Lexington, KY. He studied equine genetics, is a specialist on thoroughbred pedigrees, and has covered all sorts of sports, including Olympic track & field. Tom’s voice embodies all that sports broadcasting should be, and his knowledge and presentation have a compelling way of drawing in the audience.

Son of Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr., who piloted Sham against Secretariat in the 1973 Triple Crown races, doubles as a host and reporter and was brought on to the team in 2011. “In order to appreciate [the sport], you have to understand its past. I had access to a huge video library of 20-25 years of racing; I think it helped me understand what some of these events mean now.”

Fun Fact: He was a part of the very first Breeders’ Cup broadcast in 1984.

Fun Fact: His all-time favorite Breeders’ Cup race is the Breeders’ Cup Classic of 1986, when his father piloted Skywalker – a horse named for his childhood best friend – to victory.

The Race Caller:

Larry Collmus

A native of Baltimore, Larry started calling races at Bowie Race Track in 1985. Since then, he’s called numerous races at tracks across the country and officially became the voice of NBC horse racing in 2011. To prepare for just one race, Larry has to memorize names and colors of up to 20 horses. He’s had many memorable calls, but his call for last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic as American Pharoah thundered down the stretch at Keeneland is one that will echo through time.

Fun Fact: “Mywifenosevrything! Thewifedoesntknow! They’re 1-2! Of course they are! Mywifenosevrything in front, to the outside, Thewifedoesntknow! Mywifenosevrything! Thewifedoesntknow! Mywifenosevrything! More than Thewifedoesntknow! Whoo!” The call, which occured at Monmouth Park in 2010, got him national recognition.

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The Analysts:

Analysts are a necessary part of any sports broadcast, and NBC has two of the best in Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss.

Jerry Bailey

Randy Moss Randy grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas, home to Oaklawn Park, and a winter epicenter for horse racing. “My family was involved in horse racing and my neighbors were trainers, so I was around it from an early age.” After a brief stint in pharmacy school, he worked as a journalist, Director of Racetrack Operations, handicapper and on-air analyst for a wide variety of sports including football. During Breeders’ Cup week, you can find Randy conjoined to recognizable star, Jerry Bailey.

Fun Fact: He may or may not have been the handicapper for a local newspaper at the age of thirteen. Shhh, don’t tell anyone!

The Handicappers:

Born in Dallas, TX., Jerry is a retired Hall of Fame jockey with 5,893 career wins, including two wins in each Triple Crown race, five Breeders’ Cup Classics, fifteen total Breeders’ Cup races and four victories in the Dubai World Cup. With his unparalleled experience on the back of a horse, he offers an insider’s perspective and an abundance of knowledge that is simply unmatched.

Fun Fact: He is a 7x winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, going back-to-back in 1995-1997 and 20002003. Though he has ridden many great horses, he is best known for piloting 1995 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Cigar.

Betting is a big part of horse racing, so NBC employs the knowledge of resident handicappers in Bob Neumeier, Matt Bernier and Eddie Olczyk.

Bob Neumeier Originally from Weymouth, Massachusetts, Bob worked for a newspaper in Boston before addressing the camera as a versatile sports broadcaster. He’s hosted hockey, football and a variety of Olympic sports. Bob doubles as a reporter, sometimes conducting interviews with jockeys, trainers or owners, but can play the ponies with (or maybe better) than the rest of them!

Fun Fact: His dad was a parimutuel clerk at Suffolk Downs, which sparked his interest for the sport and taught him about betting. He has won a couple of Pick 6’s to date.

Matt Bernier The new kid on the block, Matt was brought on board by the Breeders’ Cup in 2014. “I’d like to think I bring the average age down considerably,” he said – and he does. In a sport that lacks new interest, Matt’s youthful perspective is one with which millenials can more easily relate. “There’s a difference between just analyzing the race and trying to help people that are interested in betting on it. We’ll tell you how we think everything is going to go and which horses you should be looking into.”

Fun Fact: His favorite Breeders’ Cup race to date is Tiznow’s 2001 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park.

Eddie Olczyk As a kid, Eddie fell in love with horse racing after multiple visits to Arlington Park. “I think my passion for the game is what I bring to the show. If I weren’t there, I’d be handicapping in my living room in Chicago. It just happens that I’m doing it in front of a national audience.” When analyzing races, Eddie looks at pace, track bias, class, and tries to predict how the many variables can affect the outcome of each race.

Fun Fact: He was a professional hockey player from 1984 to 2000 and was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the NHL draft.

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The Reporters:

Reporters make up the bulk of the NBC cast. They’re the interviewers, storytellers, and deliverers of breaking news.

Jay Privman

Nick Luck Originally intrigued by the math and numbers, Jay caught the bug for horse racing after a trip to Del Mar when he was a young boy. He’s been a racing journalist since the early 1980’s, working for publications like the LA Daily News, The Racing Times and the Daily Racing Form. “My skill set from being a print journalist helps me to have good news sense, in terms of what needs to be covered in the prep work. It really comes in handy.”

Fun Fact: He wakes at 5am, is at the track by 6am, watches works until 9am and then spends the next few hours writing.

NBC’s international correspondent, Nick grew up around horses in England.

After spending a year working for Kentucky Equine Research, he obtained a degree in French Literature. “It might not be an obvious route, but it taught me how to use my mind more critically and how to write better.” He appears on satellite TV, England’s premier Channel 4, and considers his role in the Breeders’ Cup one of the most important staging posts of his year. “I always have potential contenders and their stories in the back of my mind. Making trips across gives me an idea where the home soil horses fit among the foreign challenge.”

Fun Fact: He is a regular contributor for Horse & Hound magazine, The Guardian, the Sunday Telegraph and the Evening Standard.

Kenny Rice

Prior to starting with NBC, Kenny worked in local TV as a sports director and covered horse racing for ESPN. He has covered all parts of the industry from races to sales, breeding farms, and beyond. “As a reporter, I’ve always believed the stories are a great source of interest. There is so much history around a single entry – the owner, jockey, trainer, breeder, groom, sometimes even the veterinarian.” He learned a lot by frequenting the track in the mornings, where he would ask Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito a multitude of questions.

Fun Fact: Though he prepares notes for each show, he enjoys ad-libbing and does not use a prompter.

The Leading Ladies:

But where would any story be without its leading ladies?

Carolyn Manno Originally from Florida, Carolyn has covered football, hockey, basketball, NASCAR and the Olympics. She comes from “outside” of horse racing and offers a refreshing, intelligent take on the sport. Her reporting duties range from interviews with connections to fashion and entertainment.

She’s often involved with features on some of horse racing stars, and her bright, witty personality lends itself perfectly to help highlight those stories. If you’re not an avid horse racing fanatic, Carolyn’s the perfect example of someone with whom you would want to attend the races, and that’s very important for the viewers that only tune in once or twice a year.

Fun Fact: She is a graduate of the University of Florida and has received several awards from the Associated Press for outstanding journalism.

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Thoroughbred Today

Donna Brothers The daughter of a jockey, Donna grew up on the backside of racetracks working for trainers as a hot walker and exercise rider, and has done quite a bit of riding, too, winning over 1,000 races in her career. Her background allows her to understand scenarios as they unfold and conduct relaxed interviews while on the back of a horse. “The best thing about reporting from horseback is catching the jockey with their immediate emotion after a win. They can be a bit more candid and honest with me than they might be when they have time to collect their thoughts.”

Fun Fact: Donna worked her first Breeders Cup in 2000 at Churchil Downs. Prior to each show, she “checks-in” with herself and does tongue twisters before going on air.

Breeders’ Cup

Watch Li s t Christopher Ado’s list of longshots (continued from p.3)

Turf Sprint

LOADED GUNS

(D’wildcat - One in the Chamber, by Red Bullet)

Trainer: Doug O’Neill Jockey: Rafael Bejarano

Age: 5yo Sex: Gelding

2016 Stats: 7-3-0-1

This former $32,000 claimer loves the downhill turf course and has four wins and one second from eight starts over it. He has recorded five works since coming off a three month layoff, but connections have freshened him up with the goal of running in the Turf Sprint. This bay gelding won the Joe Hernandez and Gr.3 San Simeon Stakes during Santa Anita’s winter meet, and is good settling in mid-pack or sitting off the early leaders. He looks to improve in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Filly & Mare Sprint

TARA’S

TANGO

(Unbridled’s Song - Scarlet Tango, by French Deputy)

Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer Jockey: Martin Garcia

Age: 4yo Sex: Filly

2016 Stats: 6-3-0-2

This gray filly is a cut below Beholder, Stellar Wind, and Songbird, but she certainty loves the Santa Anita main track.

Returning off a four month layoff, Tara’s Tango took advantage of a speed duel in the Gr.3 Rancho Bernardo to win in a dramatic three-horse photo finish – her third stakes victory for 2016. Afterwards, instead of shipping to Keeneland for the Spinster Stakes, her connections entered her in the Gr.1 Zenyatta on October 1. She disputed the early lead through a half-mile in 46.23, but could not keep up and finished 12 ½ lengths behind winner Stellar Wind. She’s bound to enjoy the cutback in distance, and her odds will likely be generous.

14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies

UNION STRIKE

(Union Rags - Classic Strike, by Smart Strike)

Trainer: previously Shelbe Ruis Jockey: Martin Garcia

Age: 2yo Sex: Filly

2016 Stats: 2-1-1-0

This daughter of Union Rags broke her maiden second time out in the Gr.1 Del Mar Debutante, winning by 2 ¼ lengths over American Cleopatra and Champagne Room. She ran very well in her career debut on July 31, where she broke slowly, raced inside getting dirt kicked in her face and rallied to finish second. Her connections decided to bypass the Chandelier Stakes to bring her in fresh for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She is bred to handle more ground and is a half-sister to Gr.2 Pennsylvania Derby winner Handsome Mike. This beautiful dark bay filly has great potential.

Photo: Mary Ellet

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Thoroughbred Today

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“ It takes a horse with incredible disposition

to comeback as a five-year-old and be better than ever. The story of California Chrome; it’s a great rags to riches story.

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- Laffit Pincay III (NBC Sports Host)

Photo: Eric Kalet