Two year’s ago California Chrome gifted his veteran handler Art Sherman with the biggest win of his career when employing his superior acceleration to win the 140th Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs. Now, the ‘man among boys’ bids to reward Sherman with an ever greater prize, the $10 million (Dh36.7 million) Dubai World Cup (G1) in four weeks time.
The horse that cost just $10,000 to breed sealed his position as the strong ante-post favourite for the 2000 metre March 26 showpiece when crusing to victory in his prep race at Meydan three days ago.
Gulf News spoke to the 78-year-old Sherman, who in 1955 won the Derby as a teenage exercise rider with Swaps, about his flourshing relationship with the 2014 Horse of the Year, and his expectations for 2016.
What kind of a buzz do you get from training a horse like California Chrome?
Oh, it’s pretty amazing. He’s ‘The Real McCoy’. I’m just so privelidged to have a horse like him to train. I really am. I think he’s one of the best horses in the country [USA]. He now has a chance of becoming the winningest thoroughbred ever if he wins his next race and it will be quite an honour for me at this stage of my life.
You came here 12 months ago with the same goal - to win the Dubai World Cup. But things didn’t quite work out to plan. Now with a better hindsight, how high do you rate Chrome’s chances?
Firstly, he’s a different horse this year. He had a tough three-year-old campaign in 2014 where he never had a break and was not as fresh as we hoped. This time he got turned off for three or four months and he’s come back like a tiger. He’s a more mature horse he’s a man among boys and its just a pleasure to train a horse like him. He’s bigger and better.
What makes him so special, so different to other race horses?
Well he’s got a personality to start with. If you’re around a horse all the time you know that. I’ve had him since he was a two-year-old and have watched him develop. It’s been really wonderfully to see how he’s advanced. He has a lot of ability and he just wants to win. That’s what makes a good horse, his determination to win. I’m just so happy that they [the owners] let me run him this year. I thought they were going to take him to the breeding shed. But they said we missed so much time with him last year so now we’re gonna have a good 2016.
What’s on the drawing board for Chrome post Dubai World Cup.
“I would say the Breeders Cup Classic at the end of the year. It’s in California this year, so that’s good. Not sure where we’ll go prior to that but we don’t want to do too much with him.
When you got a horse that’s so special and the world is his oyster, do you to have to be more careful with the way you train him?
I think you’ve just got to keep him happy and fit. You don’t have to train him much. His trial in Dubai means a whole lot in his preparation for the big race. You can back off now and train him a bit lighter now that’s he’s had the surface, a race under his belt. Come March 26, he’s going to be double tough, he’s got that air in him now.
How important is it for you to win the Dubai World Cup at this point of time in your career.
I’ve been in the business for a long time. I rode for 23 years, trained for 40, so I’ve been around for a while you can say. To win the big race will mean the world to me. I just feel very fortunate that the owners picked me to train the horse. One day I’m going to write a book about him. You’ll see.
Horse racing needs heroes and he’s certainly shaping to be one of them.
You’ve been in the business for so long, longer than most. So you can sure tell a good horse when you see one. When did you think he was special.
Probably when he won the Kentucky Derby, the way he just did it. He impressed me when he won the Santa Anita Derby as well but his performance at Chruchill Down was the defining moment.
