JC / Railbird

Racing Archive

Chrome Works

David Grening on California Chrome’s breeze this morning (DRF+):

With regular rider Victor Espinoza up, California Chrome went his first quarter in 24.14 seconds and his second quarter in 23.30, according to DRF clocker Mike Welsch. It only got better from there, as he galloped out five furlongs in 59.59 seconds, six furlongs in 1:12.61, seven furlongs in 1:26.34, and pulled up a mile in 1:40.92.

That’s a sharp move. His official time for the four-furlong breeze was :47.69.

“I’m not a clocker but California Chrome looked full of run and seemed to have plenty left in the tank,” tweeted Jerry Bossert.

Here’s video of the work:

More on California Chrome’s work, as well as the other Belmont starters’ workouts this morning, at the Blood-Horse.

General a Rod, fourth in the Preakness and 11th in the Kentucky Derby, has joined the list of Belmont Stakes probables, bringing the number to 12.

6/1/14 Addendum: Welsch weighs in (DRF+). “The best part of the work came after the wire, as California Chrome galloped out with tremendous energy, even with Espinoza rising up in the saddle shortly past the finish line …”

Posted in Racing on May 31, 2014 / Tagged Belmont Stakes, California Chrome, General a Rod, Triple Crown, Workouts

Trainers: Who Gets the Distance?

TimeformUS takes a look at the distance race statistics of trainers with likely Belmont Stakes starters. Spoilers: The numbers at 12+ furlongs are small. Pletcher is solid. Mott knows what he’s doing. Clement has great turf form.

Posted in Racing on May 30, 2014 / Tagged Belmont Stakes, Bill Mott, Christophe Clement, Distance Races, Statistics, Todd Pletcher, Trainers

Unfamiliar Conditions

Richard Migliore on the unique challenge of riding at Belmont Park:

“Heading into the second turn [when you’re used to a smaller oval], your hands and body language are trained to give the horse its cue,” said Migliore. “You open your knees and lower your seat [asking your horse to pick it up]. The problem is [at Belmont Park] you’re not three furlongs from home at that point. You’re probably four and a half furlongs from the wire. And once you give the horse that cue, you can’t take it back.”

There’s a great interactive graphic in Frank Angst’s Triple Crown opus that shows the differing proportions of the classic races (scroll to the midpoint): 14% of the Belmont Stakes happens in the stretch; 51% takes place in the turns. “I rode that track every day and you’re still tempted to let your horse move as you drop into that far turn,” Jerry Bailey told Angst. I wonder if the challenge for Victor Espinoza on June 7 will be not his own impulse to move with California Chrome then, but that other riders and horses surely will …

Posted in Racing on May 28, 2014 / Tagged Belmont Stakes, Triple Crown