SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Apr. 25, 2014) — California State Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) and Kentucky State Representative David Osborne (R-Prospect) are in a Kentucky Derby “Throw Down” of sorts.
“California Chrome, a California Central Valley-bred Kentucky Derby contender can best any Kentucky-bred contender on May 3 is the challenge,” said Vidak. According to the Sacramento Bee (4/20/14). “Most Derby horses are born to wealth in lush Kentucky bluegrass, not California’s Central Valley. Only three California-bred colts have won the Kentucky Derby, and the last was 52 years ago.”
The challenge involves California-grown cherries from Vidak’s farm and Woodford Reserve, a Kentucky-distilled bourbon. In a business where buying a yearling for $400,000 is a common occurrence, the owners took a mare that they paid $8,000 for and bred it to a stallion for $2,500.
The result is California Chrome. He is at the top of the leader board for the Kentucky Derby with the most earnings of any horse.
“Representative Osborne says he likes cherries, but he won’t be enjoying them anytime soon,” said Vidak. “We’ve got a track-record here in our Central Valley of beating the odds.”