SACRAMENTO, California—Members of Bayang Karerista of this capital city broke out in song following Saturday’s triumph of California Chrome in the Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, MD.
Danny V of Baguio City couldn’t help but warble the Beach Boys’ winter anthem “California Dreamin” although Sacramento sizzled in the presummer heat.
Danny and his fellow railbirds gathered at the Cal Expo satellite betting station here watched heavy favorite California Chrome fend off Ride on Curlin (10-1) in the stretch to win the second jewel of horse racing’s elusive Triple Crown. Social Inclusion (5-1) finished third.
The three-year-old chestnut colt whose owners scraped together $10,000 to breed him at a quarter horse barn in Cypress, near Los Angeles, won the Kentucky Derby—the most exciting two minutes in sports—two weeks ago.
He is now 2-for-2 and a triple is in his sight.
The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed 36 years ago, a long drought for a sport that has prospered in many parts of the world, including the Philippines but has declined in North America.
“He’s such an amazing horse,” winning jockey Victor Espinoza told NBC News and a worldwide TV audience as he galloped his horse back to the winner’s circle.
Art Sherman, 77, who could be the oldest trainer ever to win the Triple Crown, told a mesmerized horse racing universe that Chrome “is a very good horse. We worked hard all year, and Victor rode him perfect. It’s a dream for any trainer to do this.”
There were 10 horses in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness field, only three of which ran in the 1 1/4–mile Kentucky Derby on May 3.
The ultimate leg of the Triple Crown race is the June 7 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
At a mile-and-a-half, it’s the longest of the Triple Crown races.
But horse racing experts say it’s not the distance so much as the amount of time (five weeks) that horses are asked to run three races that proves to be the Waterloo.
Thoroughbreds normally race no more than once a month.
“It’s the Belmont next,” said Joe J. of San Esteban, Ilocos Sur, in a sing-song manner. “My old Kentucky Home has given way to Maryland, My Maryland, which gives way to New York, New York.”
Since Affirmed took all three races in 1978, there have been 12 horses to win the first two legs but fail in the Belmont.
Espinoza, aboard War Emblem in 2002 when the stallion snagged the Derby and the Preakness only to fail in the Belmont, was asked after Saturday’s race how California Chrome would handle the Belmont distance.
“I hope OK. You never know until he runs but it seems like he’s going to be all right.We’ll get it done.”
There have only been 11 Triple Crown winners since 1919.