California Chrome Set For Triple Crown Glory Pt 1

The Preakness Stakes is now behind us and the emergence of upstart colt California Chrome continues to build towards a crescendo at historic Belmont Park in three weeks. Having defied the California breeding, the blue collar pedigree and owners that actually work 9/5 jobs, this son of Lucky Pulpit has garnered massive attention with media all over the world and websites as prominent as the Drudge Report have dubbed him “America’s Horse.”

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It is heady times for California racing and, though there is a bit of a media scrum starting to develop around whether or not Chrome will be able to use a nasal strip (something not currently allowed on the New York racing circuit), you can bank on his owners having a go of things. 

There are only a few markets out there right now but Ladbrokes currently leads with best price 2/1 on California Chrome to win the Belmont Stakes and secure the first American Triple Crown since Affirmed pulled it off in 1977. 

With California Chrome having vanquished the bulk of North America’s three-year-old crop so far this year, it appears as though one of the only real unknown quantities in the race is Tonalist. The Tapit son trades at a competitive ante post price of 9/1 and many feel as though his past races give an indication that his ability to close late could serve him well on the deep and tiring Belmont stretch. 

As it currently stands, Danza looms as the chief threat to California Chrome’s pursuit of the Triple Crown. The bookmakers have floated him right now at a price of around 9/2 - which will likely be the approximate listing one would find on-course at Belmont Park on June 8. 

While he ran a very threatening third in the Kentucky Derby, the fact remains that he was absolutely all over the shop and interfered with several horses during various parts of the race itself. Had Danza somehow won that race at Churchill Downs, there would have been claims of foul coming in from all directions and, whomever gets the mount on him on Belmont Day, will be forced to keep him under control in order to effectively exert his threatening late kick.