Can he do it?

[Calzone Lord]

In a crop hit hard by injuries and setbacks to promising route horses like Shared Belief, New Year's Day, and Honor Code...

California Chrome has certainly been a great thing for racing. Let's pretend he wrenched an ankle after the Santa Anita Derby.

That leaves Commanding Curve as your Kentucky Derby winner:



Instead of wearing a blanket of roses and etched in history as a Kentucky Derby winner, Commanding Curve still has his N1X allowance condition.


Ride On Curlin, a horse who is 0-for-8 lifetime in stakes races, would be a Preakness winner by a lopsided margin:




These two horses are a combined 1-for-15 lifetime in races beyond the distance of 6 furlongs. The lone win coming in a Maiden Special Weight race.


California Chrome hasn't exactly had to beat anywhere near the level of competition that some other horses have, to get to the Belmont with a shot at the Triple Crown.

However, he'll get a very tough test in the Belmont. He's not as well suited to the distance as some of his rivals, and a third race in five weeks, at a third different race track, is a test in it's own right.

He doesn't exactly have an Easy Goer or a Coastal set to oppose him, but he's in for a very challenging test and he'll surely get the best male competition this crop has to offer at the moment...and most of them won't be making their 3rd start in five weeks, at their third different track.

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

California Chrome hasn't exactly had to beat anywhere near the level of competition that some other horses have, to get to the Belmont with a shot at the Triple Crown.

However, he'll get a very tough test in the Belmont. He's not as well suited to the distance as some of his rivals, and a third race in five weeks, at a third different race track, is a test in it's own right.

He doesn't exactly have an Easy Goer or a Coastal set to oppose him, but he's in for a very challenging test and he'll surely get the best male competition this crop has to offer at the moment...and most of them won't be making their 3rd start in five weeks, at their third different track.

Now, see, this post just makes me disappointed all over again about the 2004 Belmont.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

i think hes in trouble..the dist and race riding may get to him late in the belmont..nyra is the real winner here..and lets be honest.we cant have a 10.5k investment win the crown.its bad for racing imo i dont think the owners will live long enough to hoist the trophy ..he looked like he was gonna code out yesterday....

[cal828]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

i think hes in trouble..the dist and race riding may get to him late in the belmont..nyra is the real winner here..and lets be honest.we cant have a 10.5k investment win the crown.its bad for racing imo i dont think the owners will live long enough to hoist the trophy ..he looked like he was gonna code out yesterday....

I was thinking the same thing. That Coburn guy got beet red in the face. I thought he was going to have a stroke or a heart attack. Belmont folks may need to have a defibrillator handy.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by cal828

I was thinking the same thing. That Coburn guy got beet red in the face. I thought he was going to have a stroke or a heart attack. Belmont folks may need to have a defibrillator handy.

I think he needs to cut down on race day medications...

But to answer the original question, no....

[cal828]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

I think he needs to cut down on race day medications...

But to answer the original question, no....

No doubt, but if it was me and I had a triple crown on the line, I'd probably need about a half a dozen Wild Turkeys and coke to make it through and pray I could still talk when and if the post race interview comes up.

[BigBlue]

I think Chrome can do it. I thought his biggest challenge to date would come from Social Inclusion yesterday. Barring an unforeseen entrant, I think he can handle any of his previous competitors and win the Belmont.

Here's to seeing that big white face pulling ahead of the pack on June 7.

Can't wait!!

[King Glorious]

He absolutely can win but I don't want him to for a somewhat silly reason. I want the next winner to be the clear, no doubt top 3yo in the land. I think Chrome is very good and just may be the best but I'm still of the opinion that Shared Belief is the best. I've seen 10 horses go to NY with a chance to win the crown and I've wanted five to win (Alysheba, War Emblem, Smarty Jones, Big Brown, and I'll Have Another) while the other five, I didn't necessarily want them to lose but I wasn't hoping for a win.

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

i think hes in trouble..the dist and race riding may get to him late in the belmont..nyra is the real winner here..and lets be honest.we cant have a 10.5k investment win the crown.its bad for racing imo i dont think the owners will live long enough to hoist the trophy ..he looked like he was gonna code out yesterday....

I disagree. Would you rather have a Doug Oneil or Richard Dutrow with repeated drug violations win a Triple Crown with owners as shady as the trainers themselves? PETA would love that.

I am glad Art Sherman and the owners with there small investment have a chance to win a TC.

Originally Posted by Cardus

Sherman has had violations, too, you know.

Yes but in comparison to Oneil and Dutrow he has significantly less violations