Ever since its inception in 1984, the Breeders' Cup has been a proving ground for Thoroughbred racing's greatest champions. For California Chrome, this year's 31st edition of the world championships centers on redemption.
Not that anything can ever erase the glory that comes from winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, yet as the seasons have changed from spring to fall, the California-bred now finds himself as a member of the supporting cast.
The star of the 3-year-old class and the upcoming Breeders' Cup is now the undefeated gelding Shared Belief, who had not even raced in 2014 while California Chrome was picking off the first two legs of the Triple Crown.
The way trainer Art Sherman sees it, the horse that came so close to ending a 36-year Triple Crown drought might go off at 5-1 or more on Nov. 1 when a star-studded field will ultimately decide Horse of the Year honors in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic.
"At least 5-1," Sherman said Wednesday during a teleconference after the Breeders' Cup pre-entries were announced, "Jerry will be 6-5, my old buddy." Jerry, of course, is Jerry Hollendorfer, the trainer of Shared Belief.
For decades, the 77-year-old Sherman worked in relative obscurity at smaller California tracks as the 68-year-old Hollendorfer fashioned a Hall of Fame career on the same circuit with 6,746 wins and earnings of $155.7 million (through Oct. 21). Sherman, in a training career that dates back to 1979, has an impressive-but-not-as-stellar 2,195 wins and $39.9 million in earnings.
There was a role reversal when Sherman took center stage with California Chrome during the spring classics, but now the status quo is back in place. California Chrome, who could have become one of the sport's immortals by winning the Belmont Stakes, is now fourth behind No. 1 Shared Belief in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 10 poll. So much indeed has changed in the aftermath of California Chrome finishing in a dead heat for fourth in the Belmont and checking in a disappointing sixth in the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 at Parx Racing.
Each time, came with an excuse. California Chrome grabbed a quarter and suffered a leg cut when he rated along the inside early and lost to BC Classic candidate Tonalist in the Belmont, and in the Pennsylvania Derby he was pinned down along the rail most of the way and never fired as fellow 3-year-old and BC Classic entrant Bayern romped by 5 3/4 lengths.
"Every time your horse throws a little bit of a clunker you get a little bit concerned ... but he hasn't had the trip at all the last two races," Sherman said. "You haven't seen the Chrome I know."
While Sherman, a former jockey, did not chastise Victor Espinoza for his ride in either race, he made it clear that no one, including the Derby winner himself, was happy about what happened in Pennsylvania.
"The race at Parx was a little disappointing to me," Sherman said. "I would have liked a little stronger race. He had quite a bit of problems in the race. I was a little upset the way the race was run.
"Even the horse acted like he was ticked off after the race. He was cranky. He was like 'What's going on here. That's not my style of running.' I could tell he was not himself after the race. He was like "Hey, what was that all about?' He knew he had no chance. They had him in the pocket for three-quarters of a mile. He couldn't get out. I don't blame the jockeys for putting him in that position. When you have a target on your back, that's what usually happens when you race-ride."
In the interim, Sherman has been delighted with California Chrome's training as the 3-year-old preps for the biggest challenge of his career, and expects a vintage performance over a track where the son of Lucky Pulpit has won three of four starts, topped by a win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
"Victor told me he's as good as he ever was, so I'm all pumped up by that," Sherman said.
When asked if he was expecting a "huge" performance from his horse in the Classic, Sherman succinctly said, "I think so, I really do." Sherman clearly understands that California Chrome will need a peak performance and perfect trip in order to become just the third horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and BC Classic in the same year and join Sunday Silence (1989) and Unbridled (1990).
"You have to give this horse a chance from the three-eighths pole home, and have to get him in the clear," said Sherman, the oldest trainer to win the Run for the Roses. "You can't be running up on horse's heels and checking him. I wish he was that type of horse that you can stop him and go. "
Yet with the quality of the 15 horses entered in the race (only 14 can run; Big Cazanova is an also-eligible) comes the ability to erase the last two races and make California Chrome Horse of the Year when all is said and done.
"I think (the BC Classic is) the greatest race we're going to have on our program in quite some years," Sherman said. "Horse of the Year will be on the line in this race. It's a big race for everybody and it will be exciting. I'm looking forward to do it. I get butterflies (in my stomach) when I think about it. "If he gets a fair shake turning for home, I'd like to see who's the best horse. Let us all come down the lane and the best horse wins it. That would be a great race." And a great chance for redemption, too.