Chrome Diaries: Set for Season Debut in San Antonio

My commute to Los Alamitos Race Course on Jan. 25 morning was brief, as I had enjoyed the hospitality of the Sherman family the previous night.
After collaborating on a delicious dinner, prepared to our a cappella version of “All About That Bass” and a good amount of hip-hop kitchen dancing, I was the first to call it a night. 
I was up before 5 a.m., waking first to the sound of trainer Art Sherman’s car pulling away from the house, with assistant trainer Alan Sherman right behind him. I quickly got dressed and pulled my hair into a ponytail before donning my beat up straw hat, and I pulled into the parking lot around 5:15 a.m.
The general feeling of team Sherman upon my arrival at the barn was one of surprise, due to the early hour. But as the morning light cast warm colors and stark shadows on the backstretch fence, I was happy that I had gotten there so early.

There was a lot of activity in the barn that morning, with a couple of groups of owners in town to watch their horses work — the most notable being Steve and Carolyn Coburn, co-owners of Horse of the Year California Chrome. 
The Coburns also had with them a crew from ESPN who were filming a sports documentary that will be aired in the coming months. (We’ll let everyone know when it is set to air.)

While I always take photos whenever I am at Sherman Racing Stables, this morning my main task was that of transporting folks back and forth with the team golf cart. I picked up my first passengers during the break, while the track was being groomed. Acclaimed equine artist Fred Stone was visiting the barn to present a painting to Art, and to watch Chrome’s workout. 
As soon as I had dropped Mr. Stone and his guests off at the barn, I quickly ran Art up to the grandstand so that he could take up his favorite spot to watch Chrome work. He likes to be up high enough to have an unobstructed view of his trainee around the entire oval.
But Chrome’s work couldn’t begin until jockey Victor Espinoza was in the irons, so I collected Victor as he exited the track kitchen. We chatted and laughed as we made our way to the barn. Once there, groom Raul Rodriquez had Chrome ready to go, and after walking a few warm-up laps in the yard outside the barn, Victor got a leg up onto Chrome and they were headed to the track.
As Victor and Chrome waited in the morning sun with their escort pony, I ferried some guests to a viewpoint close to the finish line before circling back to collect Alan and get him to the grandstand before Chrome broke from his escort to start his workout. 

The grandstand cast a broad shadow that covered the track in the place where I took up position to snap a few photos, and as and soon as the champion colt and his jockey ran past me, I was back in the gold cart to collect my passengers and return them to the barn, one by one.
The crowd gathered around the wash station was thick, and a new visitor asked me if it was like this every morning. Thankfully, it’s not.

Most mornings it’s just the team, going about the tasks of getting horses ready for morning work, then cooling them out, cleaning them up and returning them to their stalls for breakfast. On this morning, the team had to step around cameras and work around audio equipment, which they did with their characteristic grace and efficiency.
While interviews were conducted and film footage was captured, I returned to my transportation duties, with my last two passengers being members of Team Sherman, heading home after a day’s work.

Even with all the added activity, Chrome’s work was uneventful and pleasing to his trainers and owners. Everyone is looking forward to his first race of 2015. He is nominated for the San Antonio Stakes, which will be run on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park. I expect to see a lot of purple in the crowd.
 CHROME TO MAKE SEASON DEBUT IN SAN ANTONIO ON FOX SPORTS 1 ON FEB. 7