Trainer Art Sherman ready for another Chrome

Art Sherman, the 77-year-old whom California Chrome this spring made the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, is hard at work on the 2016 classics.

Sherman was a scheduled speaker on the NTRA’s media conference call Tuesday to promote this weekend’s major stakes, including California Chrome running in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby in his first start since his Triple Crown bid ended with a fourth place in the Belmont Stakes.

It took the call operator a few minutes to reach Sherman because he was busy bidding on a yearling at Keeneland’s September sale in Lexington. He got the chestnut son of Macho Uno — Hip No. 2111 — for Dr. Edward Allred, owner of Los Alamitos racetrack where Sherman is based.

“Cost me $160,000, too. He’s a nice colt,” Sherman said. “… I bought another California Chrome. He looks just like him, I swear. He’s got a blaze on his face and three stocking feet. And he looked just like him walking. I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked. I said, ‘I’ve got to have this horse.’ His body English is what I went for. But he’s still a nice-bred horse, has the family along with it…. Here comes Little Chrome, we’ll call him.”

California Chrome was turned out at Harris Farm in California, where he was born and raised, after the Belmont. He sustained a gash in his right front heel and a cut on his leg when apparently stepped on by another horse early in the Triple Crown finale.

Sherman estimated that California Chrome gained 75 pounds while on his five-week hiatus.

“He was having a great time,” he said. “He unwound, got his foot healed up — that was my main concern, to make sure he’d be 100 percent. ... He didn’t go back far on me. His last two or three works have been awesome. He’s picking his head up now. I think he’s reaching his peak. Victor (Espinoza) was all gung-ho after his last workout. We’re all in good shape, ready for Saturday. We didn’t draw the best post position (1), but we’ll see how the race unfolds.”

California Chrome broke from post 2 in the Belmont and did not seem comfortable inside of horses.

“I just hope he has a clean trip, and if he gets out run, he gets outrun,” Sherman said. “But I look for him to run a big race. I like what I’ve seen.”

Follow Jennie Rees’ coverage of the Pennsylvania Derby this week at courier-journal.com/racing.