Fan Feature: Let "Good" 3yr Olds Become "Great" Older Horses!

Photo Credit: Gary Tasich

What can happen when you allow a very good horse to race just one more year? He can become great.

Eighteen months ago California Chrome was a very good racehorse, but the 2013 Eclipse Champion Juvenile, Shared Belief proved in the San Antonio Stakes that Chrome had not yet attained the status of “great.”

Fast forward a year later. A very impressive win in the Dubai World Cup, a performance where California Chrome won despite having his girth slip all the way back to his flank, flirted with greatness. Then California Chrome came back to win the Pacific Classic in a way that left no doubt, Chrome has gone from good to great.

Of course the best measure of greatness is consistency, so Chrome will need to validate that claim in his next two stars, likely to be the Awesome Again (GI) and Breeders Cup Classic (GI). Make no mistake, if he wins those last two his place in the Hall of Fame will be cemented.

With only two thirds of the Triple Crown on his resume and a truncated four-year-old campaign the claim to greatness could not be supported. Now, after getting the chance to return as a five-year-old he can, and has, validated those claims.

This is what can happen when you give a horse that extra year. If you give him that extra year to grow stronger in mind and body, then greatness can be obtained. I hope horse owners are paying attention. Yes, there are risks, but there is also the chance that greatness will happen.

Meet Tom Imbruglia

Tom lives in Southern California where he works as a sales rep for a roofing contractor. He first began to get involved in horse racing in 1985 where he visited his first track. However, he really began to get interested when he watched Sunday Silence win the 1989 Preakness Stakes in a thriller over Easy Goer. The horse that brought him closest to the industry was Zenyatta. Watching her in 2008 brought him closer to “The Sport of Kings” closer than ever before!

#CaliforniaChrome #SanAntonioStakes #SharedBelief #DubaiWorldCup #PacificClassic #AwesomeAgainStakes