By DRF.com
If Rousing Sermon didn’t put California sire Lucky Pulpit in the consciousness of breeders, California Chrome sure has.
Lucky Pulpit is a 13-year-old son of Pulpit, who stands at Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif., for the modest fee of $2,500.
But great ones can come from anywhere, and California Chrome’s dominating win in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes has raised awareness in Lucky Pulpit, who was California’s leading freshman sire in 2010.
On the racetrack, Lucky Pulpit won three of 22 starts, but the résumé includes a turf win at five furlongs in the Arlington Park Smile Stakes at age 4 and graded placings at 2 and 3.
Lucky Pulpit was bred and raced by Larry and Marianne Williams, who still own him, along with his biggest winner.
That would be Rousing Sermon, a multiple stakes winner of $710,092 out of Lucky Pulpit’s second crop. Rousing Sermon made it to the Kentucky Derby in 2012, finishing eighth behind winner I’ll Have Another.
Now Lucky Pulpit has another son on the Derby trail in California Chrome, whose seven-length win in the San Felipe earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, a leap from his previous best of 91. California Chrome’s success could make Lucky Pulpit one of the hottest stallions in the state, especially at the modest stud fee.
California Chrome is the first foal out of the Not For Love mare Love the Chase, who was purchased by California Chrome’s owners and breeders, Steven Coburn and Perry Martin, for $8,000 and retired after one maiden win.
“I did research on the pedigree line and saw that A.P. Indy bred to Mr. Prospector came up with 21 percent stakes winners,” said Martin. “I decided Lucky Pulpit gave us a classic matchup.”
Lucky Pulpit won on dirt and turf, but his longest win was five furlongs. The one win for Love the Chase was a mile.
That said, trainer Art Sherman isn’t letting distance skepticism douse his Derby fever.
“Now, I think I deserve to go to the Kentucky Derby,” Sherman said after California Chrome’s win in the San Felipe. “I don’t think the distance will make any difference, a mile and a quarter. I think he’ll run all day.”
California Chrome convinced Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who watched the Cal-bred sail by his mount, the Bob Baffert-trained Midnight Hawk.
“He’s a serious 3-year-old,” said Smith. “People should start paying attention to him now.”
And his sire.