By Bloodhorse.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 27, 2014) — It was 6:10 on the morning of Oct. 26 when the Hubbard horse van pulled into Santa Anita Park after the 45-minute van ride from Los Alamitos Racecourse. Aboard the van were California Chrome, America’s darling of the spring, and a pair of other horses trained by Art Sherman.
Waiting at the loading ramp was assistant trainer Alan Sherman, who was at Santa Anita with his yellow lab, Jasper. The dog was enjoying being on the backstretch, having been banned, along with all canines, from the backstretch at Los Alamitos.
Alan Sherman couldn’t help but exude confidence in “Chrome,” winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), and San Felipe Stakes (gr. II).
“His work yesterday was amazing,” he said. “I really feel he’s going to run a big race (in the grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic),” Sherman said.
The Shermans actually have two stalls at Santa Anita in Tim Yakteen’s barn, but Alan sent his two other horses (Cloud Hopper and Fly Blue) to that barn and put California Chrome in the end stall of Danny Velazquez’s barn that he shares with John Sadler.
“When we sent Chrome here for the San Felipe, there was the (equine herpesvirus) in Tim’s barn, so we sent him to Danny’s barn,” Alan Sherman said. “He won the San Felipe, so we just did the same thing for the Santa Anita Derby and he won that, too. He’s 2-for-2 out of that stall and we’re not going to change now.”
California Chrome settled in beautifully, checking out his new surroundings and eyeing Jasper. With his dapper chestnut all taken care of, Sherman then took Jasper and headed over to Yakteen’s barn.
“I gotta go check on my two $12,500 claimers,” he said.