Chrome 'perfect' during gate schooling

California Chrome schooled at the starting gate for the second and final time

Thursday at Belmont Park in the lead-up to the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont

Stakes on Saturday.

At 6:30 a.m. (EDT), California Chrome set foot on Belmont's main track and

jogged approximately 1 3/8 miles clockwise before arriving at the starting gate

in the 1 1/8-mile chute on the backstretch. There he stood in the gate, backed

out, and began an easy 1 1/4-mile gallop outside the cones that had been placed

on the muddy main track.

"He was perfect in there," said Alan Sherman, assistant to his father,

trainer Art Sherman.

California Chrome has won six straight races, including the Kentucky Derby

and Preakness. He is attempting to become the 12th Thoroughbred in U.S. history

to win the Triple Crown and first since Affirmed in 1978.

Sherman said California Chrome, who is owned by Steve Coburn and Perry

Martin, will school in the paddock and gallop tomorrow. He'll jog on Saturday,

the morning of the Belmont Stakes.

"He's got his lead changes down and everything," said Sherman. "He's doing

really good on this track."

Sherman took a moment to analyze the impact of California Chrome's post

position. The colt drew post 2 of 11 at Wednesday's draw.

"It helps that (jockey) Victor (Espinoza) has been riding here all week,"

Sherman said. "I'm sure they'll take a few different runs at him, like they did

at Pimlico. As long as he doesn't get in any traffic problems, I don't think it

will be a problem for him. You can't move too early on him; you just have to sit

as long as you can."

Sherman continued to stress how California Chrome's connections will always

be grateful for having had the opportunity to win the Triple Crown, regardless

of the outcome of Saturday's race.

"Everything from here on out is a bonus," Sherman said. "He already has

exceeded our expectations. It just has been an amazing ride; I just thank God we

get to train a horse like that."

Yesterday, 45 year-old Alan Sherman became a grandfather when his daughter,

Brianne, gave birth to a boy. The baby, named Logan, weighs six pounds and was

born in Temecula, California.

"I'm so excited," Sherman said. "It's great."

California Chrome's sire, Lucky Pulpit, wasn't particularly memorable as a

racehorse, but he has now gained renown thanks to the exploits of the Triple

Crown hopeful.

For just one start in his 22-race career, Lucky Pulpit was trained by Todd

Pletcher, who recently reflected on his experience conditioning the son of

Pulpit.

"We didn't have him that long, and we kind of got him at the tail end of

things," Pletcher said. "The one thing we really remember about him is that he

didn't really want to train anymore. He was very stubborn."

Lucky Pulpit began his career in California with trainer Clifford Sise,

placing in four stakes, including a second in the Santa Catalina on the dirt and

a third in the Generous on the turf. He later was transferred to Grant Forster

at Arlington Park, where he won the $47,000 Smile Stakes, a five-furlong turf

sprint.

His final trainer was Pletcher, for whom he raced once, a runner-up

performance in the $61,000 Sneak Box, a 5 1/2-furlong turf dash at Monmouth

Park.

"We worked him three consecutive times from the gate before the Sneak Box. He

broke well and ran well," Pletcher said.

Pletcher jokingly took credit for Lucky Pulpit's success as a sire.

"That second in the Sneak Box was probably what made his stud career take

off," he quipped.

Pletcher will attempt to upset Lucky Pulpit's most famous progeny as he will

send out WinStar Farm's Commissioner and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners'

Matterhorn in the Belmont

Commissioner and Matterhorn were second and fourth, respectively, in the

Peter Pan on May 10 at Belmont.

On Thursday, Commissioner galloped 1 3/8 miles and Matterhorn galloped 1 1/4

miles, according to Pletcher. Both colts galloped on the training track.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com