Chrome to England

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by cakes44

I guess I missed the clamoring for more US dirt horses to go to Europe and take on the best in the world at their peaks on their best surface.

We're not talking apples to apples here. If John Sheriiffs would have taken THE GREAT Zenyatta overseas to tun on turf in her 4-year old season, he would have been called out too, and rightfully so.

Hardly. I don't think he'd have been "called out" at all and no "rightfully so" about it. At age 4, if he'd taken her abroad to train for Royal Ascot and she'd left now, she'd have been a G2 winner and nothing else. Even if she were the newly annointed Apple Blossom winner (it's nearly the anniversary of that), I doubt anybody would've been horrified as if she were already the Zenyatta we all saw her become. I think you mean age 5 since we'd have had her 2008 season to have witnessed and it might've made her 2009 BCC triumph more difficult. Given her breeding, success on synthetic, and running style I bet she'd have crushed it. It's obviously not entirely certain, but she seemed to be able to run on anything.

I'm reserving judgment on Chrome's Ascot chances. It'd be great it he ran well. Nobody wants to see a nice horse whiff one. I will however maintain the owners get on my nerves.