Check out California Chrome's competition with this early Belmont Stakes cheat sheet
California Chrome is only one race from making history, but before his name is etched on the Triple Crown trophy, he must face a talented field in the Belmont Stakes. Here the America's Best Racing Brand Ambassadors give you a quick rundown or “cheat sheet” to help you learn more about California Chrome and his rivals. The potential entrants for the Belmont Stakes are listed in alphabetical order below.
1. California Chrome
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Trainer: Art Sherman
Owner: Steven Coburn and Perry Martin
Career Record: 12 starts: 8 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $3,452,650
Earnings Per Start: $287,721
Pedigree: Lucky Pulpit — Love the Chase, by Not For Love
Color: Chestnut
Running Style: Pacesetter/Stalker
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: California Chrome is riding a 6-race win streak, all stakes, that includes the $1.5-million Grade 1 Preakness Stakes, $2-million Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, the $1-million Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and $300,000 Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. He will become the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown (Derby, Preakness and Belmont) if he wins the Belmont Stakes on June 7. CC for short, California Chrome is only one of four California-breds to have won the Kentucky Derby and the fifth to win the Preakness. He won the 140th Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2014 and the 139th Preakness Stakes on May 17.
2. Commanding Curve
Jockey: Robby Albarado
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds
Career Record: 7 starts: 1 win, 2 seconds, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $541,434
Earnings Per Start: $77,491
Pedigree: Master Command — Mother, by Lion Hearted
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: He came in second behind California Chrome in the 19-horse field of the 2014 Kentucky Derby. Trainer Dallas Stewart, who has gained invaluable training experience in his 12 years as an assistant for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas (nicknamed “The Coach”), also placed second in the 2013 Kentucky Derby with Golden Soul.
3. Commissioner
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: WinStar Farm LLC
Career Record: 7 starts: 2 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third
Career Earnings: $235,767
Earnings Per Start: $33,681
Pedigree: A.P. Indy — Flaming Heart, by Touch Gold
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Commissioner ran second to Tonalist in the Grade 2 Peter Pan, Belmont Stakes' local prep race. He is a homebred for owner WinStar Farm, who won classic races with Super Saver (2010 Kentucky Derby) and Drosselmeyer (2010 Belmont Stakes). WinStar Farm also bred 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Funny Cide.
4. Kid Cruz
Jockey: Julian Pimentel
Trainer: Linda Rice
Owner: Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds LLC and Black Swan Stable
Career Record: 6 starts: 3 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $161,375
Earnings Per Start: $26,896
Pedigree: Lemon Drop Kid — Layreebelle, by Tale of the Cat
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Belmont marks Linda Rice's second attempt to become the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race. Kid Cruz was claimed out of his maiden victory for $50,000 by Vina Del Mar Thoroughbreds. His former owner, Black Swan Stable, liked the horse so much that they bought a share from his new owners. Kid Cruz finished eighth in the Preakness Stakes. He is named after salsa-dancing New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.
5. Matterhorn
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners
Career Record: 4 starts: 1 win, 0 seconds, 1 thirds
Career Earnings: $62,102
Earnings Per Start: $15,526
Pedigree: Tapit — Winter Garden, by Roy
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: He showed talent by winning his debut over Harpoon in November of 2013. After beating fellow Belmont contender Tonalist in their debuts (Tonalist finished fourth), Matterhorn finished fourth behind Tonalist in the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park in early May.
6. Matuszak
Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owner: George Prussin
Career Record: 8 starts: 1 win, 1 second, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $78,643
Earnings Per Start: $9,830
Pedigree: Bernardini — Golden Sonata, by Mr. Prospector
Color: Dark Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Matuszak hasn’t won race a race since breaking his maiden in his debut at Churchill Downs on September 21, 2013, and he's been beaten by fellow Belmont contender Kid Cruz in his last two starts. Trainer Bill Mott and Jockey Mike Smith teamed up to win the Belmont Stakes in 2010 with Drosselmeyer.
7. Medal Count
Jockey: Robby Albarado
Trainer: Dale Romans
Owner: Spendthrift Farm
Career Record: 8 starts: 3 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $261,600
Earnings Per Start: $32,700
Pedigree: Dynaformer — Brisquette, by Unbridled’s Song
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Medal Count encountered a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby, finishing eighth, 7 ½ lengths behind California Chrome. Notched a solid runner-up finish to Dance With Fate in the Toyota Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland eight days after winning the Transylvania Stakes. Trainer Dale Romans is seeking his first victory in the Belmont Stakes.
8. Ride On Curlin
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: William Gowan
Owner: Daniel Dougherty
Career Record: 11 starts: 2 firsts, 3 seconds, 4 thirds
Career Earnings: $714,687
Earning Per Start: $64,972
Pedigree: Curlin — Magical Ride, by Storm Cat
Color: Bay
Running Style: Stalker
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Ride On Curlin has finished no worse than third in nine of his eleven career starts, including five graded stakes races. Ride On Curlin’s sire [father], Curlin, won the 2007 Preakness Stakes. The colt ran second behind California Chrome in the Preakness Stakes after a troubled seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
9. Samraat
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Trainer: Richard Violette, Jr.
Owner: My Meadowview Farm
Career Record: 7 starts: 5 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $833,200
Earning Per Start: $119,029
Pedigree: Noble Causeway — Little Indian Girl, by Indian Charlie
Color: Dark Bay/Brown
Running Style: Stalker
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: He won his first five career races, including the Kentucky Derby prep Withers and Gotham Stakes, at Aqueduct Racetrack and Belmont Park in New York. Samraat is an Ancient Indian word which translates into “Emperor.” He ran fifth in the 140th Kentucky Derby.
10. Social Inclusion
Jockey: Luis Contreras
Trainer: Manny Azpurua
Owner: Rontos Racing Stable Corp.
Career Record: 4 starts: 2 firsts, 0 seconds, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $314,400
Earnings Per Start: $78,600
Pedigree: Pioneer of the Nile — Saint Bernadette, by Saint Ballado
Color: Bay
Running Style: Frontrunner
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: In just his second start he defeated Remsen Stakes winner, Honor Code, by 10 lengths at Gulfstream Park in a track record time for 1 1/16 miles. In his stakes debut he finished third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct before running 3rd to California Chrome and Ride On Curlin in the May 17 Preakness Stakes. Both Social Inclusion’s owner and trainer are natives of Venezuela.
11. Tonalist
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Trainer: Christophe Clement
Owner: Robert S. Evans
Career Record: 4 starts: 2 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $157,000
Earnings Per start: $39,250
Pedigree: Tapit — Settling Mist by Pleasant Colony
Color: Bay
Running Style: Pacesetter/Stalker
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: He ran second to eventual Florida Derby winner Constitution in a February Gulfstream Park allowance race. Tonalist won the local prep race for the Belmont Stakes, the Peter Pan, in impressive fashion by 4 lengths.
12. Wicked Strong
Jockey: Rajiv Maragh
Trainer: James A. Jerkens
Owner: Centennial Farms
Career Record: 7 starts: 2 firsts, 1 second, 1 third
Career Earnings: $804,610
Earnings Per Start: $114,944
Pedigree: Hard Spun — Moyne Abbey, by Charismatic
Color: Bay
Running Style: Closer
Notable Achievements and Interesting Facts: Named in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, Wicked Strong was the winner of the $1 million Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Centennial Farms is donating five percent of Triple Crown winnings for Wicked Strong to One Fund Boston. The colt finished fourth in the 140th Kentucky Derby.
