California Chrome justified his status as joint favorite by landing the Dubai World Cup with a perfectly timed run under jockey Victor Espinosa. Chrome won the $10-million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racehorse in the United Arab Emirates.
- Chrome finished second in the race last year, part of a disappointing campaign for the 4-year-old.
- Returning to win this race was one of the reasons he was brought back as a 5-year-old. Most horses of Chrome’s caliber are placed into stud by that age.
- Chrome had more than $6.5 million in earnings before winning $6 million in Saturday’s race. The former record-holder was Curlin, with about $10.5 million in earnings.
- Chrome won the 1 1/4-mile race in a track record of 2:01.83. Mubtaahij finished second, and California-based Hoppertunity was third. Other U.S.-based horses in the race were Frosted (fifth), Mshawish (sixth) and Keen Ice (eighth).
- Chrome became the third Kentucky Derby winner to win the world’s highest-paying race. Silver Charm (1998) and Animal Kingdom (2013) also won this race.
- Chrome’s inauspicious beginnings, bred for $2,500 to an $8,000 mare, and his rise to racing royalty have steadily been growing his fan base nationally, but especially in California.
Did You Know?
- Organized horse racing in the United States dates back to 1665, when Richard Nicolls, the royal governor of New York, authorized the first track at what is now Hempstead, Long Island.
- Many racehorses become addicted to drugs when their trainers and veterinarians give them drugs to keep them on the track when they shouldn’t be racing.
- Regardless of the economy, beautifully bred horses find a buyer who can and will pay top dollar.
- According to Animal Aid, around 1,000 horses from the racing industry are killed in slaughterhouses in Britain every year, to be turned into dog food or horsemeat.
