Chrome accepts his Horse of the Year trophy this morning. (Courtesy NTRA and Sherman Racing Stables)

I seem to have been born loving horses, was an early reader, and throughout my childhood read every book about horses my dad would buy for me. One was a book about Man o' War. I'm not sure if that was my first exposure to horse racing, but it was certainly one of the first. My first distinct memory was the 1960 racing season when I fell in love with a horse named Bally Ache who won the Preakness that year. He died of a twisted intestine that fall. In the meantime, Kelso, who had not raced in the Triple Crown series, began the first of his Horse of the Year seasons.

Racingwithbruno ‏@Racingwithbruno 27m27 minutes ago

Chrome 58.4 with a final 1:4 in 23.3 out in 1:12 flat to quote @amy_christinek "effortless, floating  ears cocked" could have gone faster

To the best of my knowledge, that's Chrome's fastest work ever. They are taking off the restraints on him, finally.

Cougar II, The Big Cat:



Ack Ack

Quote from: Man o Taz on January 20, 2017, 01:49:14 PM
Chrome faced competition like Cougar II? I know he carried 132 pounds, but the field was probably the weakest he faced all year. That is why he carried 15 pounds more than the field.

No, you misunderstood my post. I was referring to the 132 pounds he carried, not the field. He carried the weight and won with it. We don't see top horses carrying much more than 126 anymore.

Quote from: curtis on January 20, 2017, 09:17:10 AM
I was a kid then, but I vividly remember Ack Ack and won't ever forget him. He won the 7f San Carlos, the 8.5f SanPasqual, the 9f San Antonio and the 10f Big 'Cap at Santa Anita. After a short break, he won and set long standing records in both the 5.5f Hollywood Express and the 9f (turf) American Handicap before wiring the field in the Hollywood Gold Cup under 134 lbs. I know from at least the Big 'Cap, in which he defeated fellow HOF member Cougar II, he carried 130 lbs. each time. Now could Chrome do this?

I love Ack Ack. He's one of my all-time favorites. I remember Cougar also and was at the rail when he finished third to Secretariat and Riva Ridge in the first Marlboro Cup (won by Red in world record time).

You ask if Chrome could do something similar to what Ack Ack did when he beat Cougar while carrying 130 lbs. Thing is, Chrome did do something similar when he won that DWC prep handicap in Dubai carrying 132 lbs. last year. Granted there were no Cougars and Ack Acks in that field, but he did win while carrying weight that U.S. horses are seldom asked to carry anymore. So all I hope for is that people give Chrome his due even if they are not fans or they prefer to see a different horse as HOTY.

Quote from: Man o Taz on January 20, 2017, 06:34:18 AM
I understand some folks think the winner of the BC Classic no matter what they have done for the year deserve HOTY. I understand others that feel that those that beat another horse head to head, all things being equal the head to head match-up should be the deciding factor. Those are not my feelings, but they certainly are shared by a number of people.

I accept and respect those points of view, but don't understand the need to devalue the accomplishments of one horse in order to build up those of another. I say this because, as a young and foolish person I so loved Secretariat that I could not appreciate Seattle Slew. I resented Slew back then. In 1977 I was at Hollywood Park to see Slew race in the Swaps Stakes and was happy he lost to J. O. Tobin. The maturity that comes with decades lived has shown me how stupid my attitude was back then.

Quote from: curtis on January 19, 2017, 07:05:36 PM
Ah the internet, where the world is seen seemingly only in extremes. Yes, you're right everything is either incredibly special or chopped liver. Finally someone who gets me.

No Curtis, just no. My chopped liver remark is a metaphorical way of asking where Chrome's remarkable year fits if it isn't HOTY worthy. I'm not dismissing your point of view, but am trying to understand it.

We fans claim to want top horses to stay around longer instead of being rushed off to the shed. Here we have a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner who had a remarkable year as a 5-YEAR-OLD, and we're willing to brush him off in favor of the latest lightly raced wunderkind?

We fans claim to want horses to race more often. Here we have a horse who runs almost once a month and wins all but one of them, but we're willing to brush that off in favor of the kind of horse we complain about -- one that didn't race at two and seems to need months between races. But we're willing to brush off the one who danced every dance?

Quote from: curtis on January 19, 2017, 02:34:46 PM
Again I think that Arrogate is incredibly special, too special for me to ignore and if I had a vote, the only way for me to acknowledge that fully, is to name him Horse of the Year.

Although I recognize and respect the fact that horse racing is all about opinions, if the following is not a Horse of the Year resume, then the award has no more meaning for me:

Jan. 6, 2016 won G2 San Pasqual
         Was shipped from California to Dubai
Feb, 25, won a DWC prep handicap carrying 132 pounds
Mar. 26, won the G1 Dubai World Cup with his saddle slipped into bucking strap territory over a truly world class field
          Returned to U.S. where he spent about a month at Taylor Made before going back into training
July 23, won the G2 San Diego Hcp
Aug. 20, won the G1 Pacific Classic
Oct. 1, won the G1 Awesome Again
Nov. 5, 2nd in G1 BCC by half length
Dec. 17, won the Winter Classic

2016: 8 races in 12 months with 7 wins and 1 second, winning $8,180,000 while never ducking any competition, carrying weight, winning in fast times, beating many of the best horses in the world

Seriously...what more does a horse have to do to be named Horse of the Year?

You say Arrogate is "incredibly special, too special for you to ignore." What does that make Chrome? Chopped liver? How special is it that a Kentucky Derby winner is still racing and winning at the top level of this sport at the age of 5? Whatever happens in the Pegasus and whatever the future holds for his stud career, California Chrome is a great horse who deserves more respect than for someone to brush off his remarkable year with "he doesn't need to be Horse of the Year." What does that even mean?

Quote from: curtis on January 14, 2017, 12:25:35 PM
So then you're fine with a claimer going 12 for 12 and being named Horse of the Year?  It would be hard to argue against that campaign, wouldn't it? 

Horse of the Year has changed throughout the BC era.  Pre BC era, it was usually the best horse and that was the mentality that voters used when voting.

I can't think of a single example of a Horse of the Year only winning one or two stakes races in the year they received that award.

Also, if a horse is able to win 12 races in a row, it might start out in the claiming ranks, but would definitely be moved up its conditions into stakes. The closest real example I can think of to your scenario is Horse of the Year Charismatic, who didn't start winning stakes until he was shipped to Keeneland where he won the Lexington Stakes. He then won the Derby and Preakness before being injured in that memorable Belmont and was retired. That year, 1999, the Breeders Cup Classic was won by Cat Thief, who also won the Swaps Stakes. So 2 Gr1 wins, one of which was the BCC, were not enough to earn Cat Thief honors as champion 3-yr-old colt or HOTY. Those honors went to Charismatic.

Quote from: stark on January 14, 2017, 11:38:14 AM
Is that you standing in line this morning waiting for a Chrome poster signed by Art Sherman?

I wish, but no. I lived in the Los Angeles area for 40 years before moving back east in 2015, and was only about a half hour drive from Los Al. Now I'm about an 11 hour drive from my current home to Hallandale, FL. I would have definitely gone to Gulfstream for the race on the 28th, but they've limited on track attendance to only 12,000 and tickets are $100. Combined with cost of travel, motel, food, etc., it's too expensive. I'll go see Chrome at Taylor Made eventually.

California Chrome worked this morning at Gulfstream. Went 5F in 1:00 3/5. A day or two before the work, Alan Sherman said he wanted Chrome to go in about 1:00, so this was spot on. I watched the work as it happened on Gulfstream's live stream. Chrome had his ears pricked the whole way. He was looking around taking in the sights during the jog out, then was all business during the work. Dihigi always stayed high up over the saddle...never got down into it race style. Looked like Chrome handled the track just fine. Also, there were people lining the rail around the club house turn and all along the backstretch watching Chrome work. These must have been people who work at the track, because it wouldn't be an area where the general public could go. It was quite a show of respect for Chrome from the horsemen and women at Gulfstream.

There was also a big crowd on the grandstand side to watch Chrome work.

Chrome safely arrived at Gulfstream Park accompanied by Raul. Alan and quite a crowd were there to greet the champ when he arrived. Speaking as a Californian, this is bittersweet, because it's sad that Chrome isn't likely ever to step foot in his home state again. But he is going to a great home at Taylor Made, so I'm very happy about that. http://www.paulickreport.com/news/pegasus-world-cup/bright-eyed-california-chrome-arrives-safely-gulfstream-park/

Chrome looked absolutely magnificent in that last work at Los Al. He leaves California for probably the last time on Friday morning. If he handles the Gulfstream track as good as he's handled all other tracks he's raced on, he should run another fine race in the Pegasus. I hope he goes out a winner, but win or lose this horse has given so much to the sport and all of us who love him. Now I hope he becomes a successful sire so that he will never be sold and will be able to finish out his life at Taylor Made.

Arrogate has been scratched. http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/218732/arrogate-out-of-san-pasqual-stakes