Chrome Diaries: The People’s Horse

The overcast skies and light drizzle of rain that met me as I walked trackside at Los Alamitos Race Course brought with them slightly warmer temperatures than the previous week, and a glorious tapestry of colors that included a full rainbow, which appeared to originate in the barns located deep on the backside of the property.  While my desire to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was strong, it was outweighed by my drive to get out of the rain and greet my friends at the barn.

Everything was business as usual as I stepped over the threshold of the office to Sherman Racing Stables. I deposited the armful of prints that needed the signatures of trainer, Art Sherman, assistant trainer, Alan Sherman, and jockey, Victor Espinoza, on the tack box that serves as a makeshift desk. Unburdened from my heavy load, I walked back up to the track kitchen where I found Art conversing and laughing with friends and colleagues. After quickly catching up with him, and our friend, Tat Yakutis, we eagerly filed out to the parking area to get a closer look at the new, red Tesla parked there - a recent acquisition by trainer and owner of Bonnie Acres Ranch, Bobby Mitchell.
This car is a marvel, and sleekly beautiful.  Art took up position in the driver’s seat and played along when I asked him to pretend he was driving.  (For any former jockey, it means one thing …)  My favorite feature of this car? The incredible video displays are beyond anything I’ve seen, but rank second to the retractable door handles that reveal themselves when the owner merely touches one.  Sweet!

Back to business - I walked back to the barn to find Victor ready to get a leg up and take champion colt, California Chrome, for his official workout. Groom Raul Rodriquez handed the lead shank smoothly to pony rider Danielle and her stunning mount, Marzipan, and the quartet walked to the gap in the track where they waited for the tractors to complete their harrow.

His training run was flawless, and as I passed Chrome fan Mark Mulhall in my trek back to the barn, we both smiled as we remarked that it was over as quickly as it began.  Chrome worked 3/4 of a mile in 1:11.60.  A smooth, easy breeze that Victor told me required much less of him to keep Chrome at a safe pace.  The previous week, the colt dragged his jockey around the track, but this morning he seemed to grasp the agenda for the day, and while his performance was strong, he was more controlled than in prior workouts.

Back at the barn, Victor chatted with Raul as the groom got Chrome cleaned up and cooled out. It was quiet for a few minutes, and sweetly calm. It’s during these times - when hardly anyone is watching - that I so enjoy witnessing the relationships between horses and humans, and the humans themselves.  It’s a relaxed humor that makes me smile at little things, like knowing this is the only time Victor ever eats donuts.

In short order, the barn was abuzz with activity.  Chrome’s co-owners - Perry and Denise Martin, and Steven and Carolyn Coburn - arrived with a strong family contingent to check on their horse. They were all in town for the Vox Populi presentation later in the day at Santa Anita Park, but had gotten up early to come out to watch Chrome train.  Among the variety of tasks the team would execute was the signing of a set of DAP colors that were being donated to the Secretariat Foundation, and Perry was more than happy to help his friends affix their signatures.

The routine that continues around the barn, even in the wake of such activity, is always remarkable to me. While the conversations being had about the award presentation later in the day and the upcoming Eclipse Awards were certainly of interest to me, so was the measured pace of Florentina as she walked her charge in a gentle oval, in the rain, prior to Raul drying him off and putting Chrome back in his stall.  

Before Chrome had even begun to chomp on his breakfast, I was being whisked out to the parking lot with Art to begin out journey to Santa Anita.  We first stopped at the Sherman family camp in Lakewood, where Art got cleaned up, before getting back in the car so that we could arrive at Santa Anita just as the rest of Team Chrome was beginning to sign posters that were being given away to commemorate Chrome’s being awarded the Secretariat Vox Populi Award.
Art had to stop briefly at the racing office, as he had a horse in the third race, and as the signing got underway I stepped out into the paddock area to wrangle him as he walked toward the original location of the signing, which was changed due to the weather.  As I maneuvered him through the crowd, he was stunned at the number of fans in line, and happily took up position, Sharpie in hand, to begin talking with Chrome’s supporters and signing posters.

Truth be told, the signing went longer that had been publicized, and Santa Anita broke out more than the 2,000 posters that it had originally said would be given away.  In the end, fans left happy, having shared the experience of a lifetime with the team that they supported during 2014 and will continue to cheer for in 2015.
As the fifth race was about to start Leonard Lusky, president of Secretariat.com, came to collect the team and lead everyone out to the winner’s circle, where the award presentation would take place. Family, friends and fans of the Coburns, Martins and Shermans were all happy and eager to share the moment with the team, and as the track was harrowed, the contingency from Team Chrome watched the Vox Populi video presentation on the big screen in the center of the infield as friend and HRTV anchor, Peter Lurie, narrated the story of the People’s Horse for 2014.

As the presentation was complete, the rain started to come down harder. From the position I had taken up with my friend and fellow photographer Zoe Metz to capture photos of the experience I was in just the right spot to get a shot of the trophies being carefully packed up to be shipped to their final destinations, where they will be displayed and treasured for a lifetime.

Back in the suite with Art and his family, we relaxed, enjoyed wonderful food and deserts, and watched the remaining races on the card for the afternoon.  We were joined again by Leonard, who had one last, very private, gift for Art.  An uncirculated edition of Sports Illustrated from July 18, 1955.  On the cover was Swaps, the Kentucky Derby winner who Art rode with in a boxcar for four days enroute to Churchill Downs.  

As an 18-year-old exercise rider, Swaps was the horse that had been such a high point of Art’s early career. He had always hoped that he might get to work again with horse with “one tenth the talent.” After 60 years as an exercise rider, jockey and trainer, this generous, jovial and talented man, and a stunning chestnut colt, have savored the ride they have shared over the past 14 months.  Perhaps the best is yet to come.