California Chrome scored a dominating win in the 140^th running of the G1 Kentucky Derby at the historic Churchill Downs. It’s a fairy tale rise to success for the Steve Coburn and Perry Martin’s home-bred chestnut colt. California Chrome with the big white blaze and four matching white legs was bred from a mare they had bought for a meager $8,000. The ownership of the chestnut was registered as ‘DAP Racing’ where DAP stood for ‘Dumb Ass Partners’ which was the outcome of a chance remark that they were “dumb asses”. The connections had even turned down a whopping offer of $6m for a 51% share in the colt.

California Chrome who had won its previous four starts of which the Santa Anita Derby was the latest just a month ago kept his winning streak with a thumping victory over the mile and a quarter, which was the colt’s first outside of California. The colt had settled well in third behind Uncle Sigh and Chitu. Entering the straight California Chrome powered its way to the front and the race was well over from there. Commanding Curve made a late bid to take the runner-up berth ahead of Danza.  

"He gave me the biggest thrill I've ever had in my life," said trainer Art Sherman who became the oldest winning trainer in Derby history at the age of 77. 

“I never felt in my dreams that I would win two Kentucky Derbies in my entire career”, said jockey Victor Espinoza who would be turning 42 later this month. “I was a young guy and I never knew I was going to be a jockey and look at me now. It is an awesome feeling.

“He’s an amazing horse, “he added, speaking of California Chrome. "He started very well. I wanted to let him go the front but I backed off. I went to the outside early and it wasn't a problem. At the three-eighths pole I thought it was over. The others seemed to be struggling just a little bit. When we hit the head of the lane and I asked him, he put his head down and went on."