By Bloodhorse.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (Apr. 3, 2015) — California Chrome‘s jockey and trainer, Victor Espinoza and Art Sherman, received the Hartack Award and the Neiman Award, respectively, at Santa Anita Park April 2. The Bill Hartack Charitable Foundation annually presents those awards to the jockey and trainer of the previous year’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner.
Espinoza thanked Sherman not only for putting him on California Chrome, but also for giving him mounts early in his career in Northern California.
“Life is amazing,” said Espinoza in accepting the Hartack Award. “Who ever thought that I would win the Kentucky Derby (Presented by Yum! Brands!) for Art when I was riding in San Francisco? He was one of the trainers who helped me. I really wanted to win the Kentucky Derby for Art.”
The Foundation was created to keep alive the memory of the late Bill Hartack, the Hall of Fame jockey who rode five Kentucky Derby winners.
Contributions at the Hartack Award event each year benefit a charity, and Espinoza chose the City of Hope to receive this year’s contributions. The jockey often visits patients at the cancer treatment facility, which is based in Duarte, Calif., and he regularly pledges a portion of his earnings to the City of Hope.
The Hartack Foundation also created the Neiman Award. It is named for the late artist LeRoy Neiman, a founding board member of the Hartack Foundation and a longtime friend of Hartack.
“I rode with Bill Hartack, and we were on the same bowling league,” said Sherman in accepting the Neiman Award. “He was a competitor.”
Sherman spoke about how much he misses having California Chrome at Los Alamitos Race Course. The Lucky Pulpit colt is currently in training in Newmarket, England.
“I’m kind of tearing up,” Sherman said. “People don’t really know what you go through when you have a good horse. So many good trainers over the years never got a chance to win the Kentucky Derby. I said, ‘Wow, I got a chance to win the Kentucky Derby.’ I was so proud.”
Like all trainers, Sherman then took a look forward, saying, “I’ve got my young horses to look forward to. Maybe there’s not a California Chrome out there, but I’ve got a nice 3-year-old that I’m kind of high on.”