California Chrome Tough Act to Follow

The winner of Wednesday’s 63rd running of the $100,000 Graduation Stakes for California-bred 2-year-olds has a tough act to follow. California Chrome was a 2  3/4-length winner of the 2013 event and went on, as we all know, to victory in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

“He liked the racetrack and he handled it well (winning the Graduation),” trainer Art Sherman said. “He was still a little green when he was here last year. He never really developed and got strong as he is until he was a 3-year-old.

“Down here last year he was a horse who enjoyed learning the game. He was cool and collected, at a growing age, and we never had any problems with him. We didn’t rush him and he turned out the way he did. He was a decent horse at two. But not the kind you could say ‘Wow, next year he’s going to win the Derby.’”

Wake Up Nick, two-for-two to start his career in May and June at Santa Anita, is the 9-5 morning line favorite. The Cindago colt was purchased for $35,000 at the Barretts’ March Sale, picked out by O’Neill’s brother/assistant Dennis and owner Paul Reddam.

“So far, so good,”Doug O’Neill said.

WHAT’S IN A NAME – California Chrome scored his first stakes victory in winning the Graduation last summer. For California-bred Juveniles, the race was inaugurated in 1952.