American Pharoah was racing history; California Chrome is its comeback

It was a year ago when at Keeneland the Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was the talk of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup.

And on a historic Saturday at the local track, American Pharoah made history, becoming not only the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 37 years but the first to win the Grand Slam of racing, taking not only the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, but the Breeders’ Cup Classic, as well.

A year later, the 2016 Breeders’ Cup is out in California at Santa Anita, but the focus is once again on the $6 million Classic and on the Derby winner that preceded Pharoah.

California Chrome had been on a similar run in 2014, dominating first the Derby, then the Preakness for the obscure connections of owners Perry Martin and Steve Coburn and trainer Art Sherman. His fourth-place finish in the Belmont, however, closed the book on one journey and opened the door to a long, strange rollercoaster ride that could reach its apex Saturday.

If American Pharoah was racing’s long-awaited story, Chrome is its comeback story.

“He’s kind of awesome to watch, to be honest with you,” the 79-year-old Sherman said last week on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association teleconference.

After the Belmont loss, things were far from awesome. There was Coburn’s embarrassing rant against other owners who did not run their horses in the Preakness before the Belmont. Then Chrome lost four of his next five races, his reputation tarnished, his ownership changed — Taylor Made purchased Coburn’s stake — and his health compromised by a trip to England.

When Chrome returned to the states, “He looked skinny, almost anorexic,” jockey Victor Espinoza told Sports Illustrated’s Tim Layden. “I thought, for sure, that was going to be the end of his career.”

After some rest and relaxation at Taylor Made, however, Chrome has returned to his old self, winning all six of his races this year. He’s the even-money favorite for Saturday’s race, which figures to be followed only by a Chrome run in January’s $12 million Pegasus World Cup.

“I’ll miss him a lot, you know what I mean, when he goes to stud, which won’t be too long now,” Sherman said. “I’d sure like to see him go out a winner.”

So would most everyone else, echoing last year’s sentiments about Pharoah. If anything, during his Triple Crown run, Chrome was the more popular of the two thanks to his modest pedrigree, everyman owners and veteran trainer who found the horse of a lifetime late in his life.

And while Pharoah correctly went straight to stud after his 3-year-old year, Chrome has given the sport what it has longed for, a champion who kept racing at 4 and now winning at 5.

“There aren’t too many horses that’s done what he has has and keeps running at his age,” Sherman said. “I think, the legacy is he’s just a great horse, myself.”

Finishing the year on top won’t be easy. Frosted has wins in the Metropolitan and the Whitney. Bob Baffert, who trained Pharoah, could spoil the show with second-choice Arrogate, who won the Travers by 13 1/2 lengths. Baffert knows what he’s up against, however.

“It’s going to take a huge performance to beat Chrome,” said the trainer. “Chrome right now, he just looks unbeatable.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2016 at 5:36 PM with the headline "American Pharoah was racing history; California Chrome is its comeback."