For a man who had never had a horse in the Kentucky Derby, Art Sherman, trainer of the Kentucky Derby Champion California Chrome, had plenty of Derby experience. He had played minor roles in helping a legend win the Derby, Swaps, who had won the Derby in 1955. When asked about the triple crown Sherman explained to Jerry Bossert of The New York Daily News that “The Triple Crown are probably the toughest races you’ll ever have to face. You have two weeks to the Preakness, then you have to go a mile and a half at Belmont. I’ve seen a lot of champions go by the wayside. I have to keep my fingers crossed and hope I can have a fresh horse for them type of races.” Crossing their fingers and hoping for the best seem to be what the owners did when they were first introduced to California Chrome.

California Chrome, born on February 11, 2011 is a thoroughbred racehorse that was bred in California. Chrome’s owners are Perry and Denise Martin from Yuba City, California and Steve and Carolyn Coburn of Topaz Lake Nevada. This chestnut-colored horse was named for his white marking or “chrome” as the horse gurus know it as. He was sent to the Shermans’ training stable as a two-year-old due to their reputation for patiently developing young horses. California Chrome’s backstory undoubtedly has fueled his popularity.

Steve Coburn and Perry Martin – who live on either side of the California-Nevada border near Reno- bred their $8,000 mare (mother of California Chrome) to a $2,500 stallion (Father) – a decision that prompted a friend to call them dumb. That mating produced a colt, and before that colt ever ran, they sent an email to trainer Art Sherman that was headlined “Road to the Derby,” which Sherman said he found “a bit challenging”. California Chrome has the typical humble background of most Sherman horses. But the mating of an unremarkable stallion with a mare who won only one low level race in her career has produced a talent that far surpasses his bloodlines. In fact, after California Chrome won the April 5 Santa Anita Derby, Coburn and Martin were offered $6 million for 51% controlling interest in the colt, but obviously they wanted no part of it and turned it down.

Coburn told Jerry Bossert of the New York Daily News, “That would mean they were running under their colors, gone to a new trainer. We would have been out in the background. They probably would have moved him out of California. It wasn’t tough for us to say no. We knew within our souls what kind of horse we had because we’ve seen him grow up. We’ve seen him achieve these things.”

Many undoubtedly had negative thoughts that California Chrome wouldn’t be able to win the Kentucky Derby. To that, California went out and won the Derby, like he was supposed to, by 1¾ lengths.
“I don’t think he really cares (that he’s a California-bred),” Coburn told Bossert. “Everybody else has been trying to tell him, the media, the sportswriters. They never gave this horse any credence. He’s a California-bred.”

Over the years, the Kentucky Derby is usually populated by two types of horses–those that are well-bred with well-heeled human connections and the nobodys with trainers less practical or realistic than Sherman.

With the Kentucky Derby taken care of, California Chrome has his eyes set on the Preakness in the next step for the Triple Crown looking to become the next Triple Crown winner in 36 years (Affirmed 1978).

“I believe this horse will win the Triple Crown,” Coburn explained to Jerry Bossert. “This colt was born on my sister Brenda’s birthday. She died of cancer at the age of 36. It will be 36 years this year since there’s been a Triple Crown. That’s where we’re going.”

Sherman made a decision to send him to Baltimore a bit sooner than was usual in order for the horse to have time to get used to the new track, but he is only scheduled to gallop, not to have any timed workouts. Chrome is a huge favorite to win the Preakness (5 to 8 odds) and hopes to keep the Triple Crown in tact. All eyes will be watching to see what happens to this no-named favorite horse this Saturday and see if he could pull off the unexpected: win the Triple Crown.