Solid debut for California Chrome sister Hope's Love

As California Chrome prepares for his debut in England next Wednesday, his little sister was making a debut of her own right here at Golden Gate Fields. Hope’s Love, a 2-year-old full sister to Chrome, trained by Steve Sherman (son of Chrome trainer Art) , finally made her long awaited debut in a 4 ½ furlong, maiden special weight dash at the track by the bay on Saturday. Ironically, Golden Gate is the only track in which her mom, Love the Chase, ever ran.

With co-owner Perry Martin in attendance, Hope’s Love broke slow, ran evenly for three furlongs, then made a late bid in the final stages of the race to lose by just a neck in the field of nine.

The race winner, Ourprincessmelanie, went gate to wire, setting fractions of 22.09 and 46.15 and then holding off the late charge by Hope and jockey Ricardo Gonzalez. Hope's Love went off the 6-5 favorite.

“Well, considering she didn’t break well, lost and shoe and grabbed a quarter a little bit, I thought it was a really great effort,” Sherman said. “She hung on the rail all the way around and the with the education of the race, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Martin, who came dressed in a Royal Ascot themed outfit, was pleased as well.

“She was a little farther back than I would have liked but she was flying at the end,” Martin said. “ She did well though. Six furlongs should be much better for her.”

Hope was entered to run on May 15th but was scratched when she came down with a virus. Now, with the debut behind her, the connections can plan for race two.

“She’s not a very big filly, so I don’t think we can run her back as quick as the normal horse because she is on the light side," Sherman said. “As long as she comes out of it good we should be able to go forward and hopefully win her next start.”