A closer look.....

[taxicab]

Slow final time:
Judging by the way the flags were whipping around I would think a pretty strong headwind had alot to do with the slow final time.
Early speed types:
The horses that were in front or near CC early all finished up very tired.
Samraat deserves a ton of credit for laying close to CC and finishing up well.
Drop of a hat:
It's amazing that jockey Victor pushed a button and CC opened up as many lengths as desired......that's freaky stuff.
The final sixteenth:
This horse was not tiring,the race was over.
Time machine:
When CC won the Santa Anita Derby he went faster than Affirmed/Sunday Silence.......wrapped up.

[chadk66]

that had to be one of the slowest first half mile's in Derby history. they were crawling.

[ArlJim78]

I never believed that it would be a fast pace, although that is what everyone and their mother was predicting. true, a large number of these horses had forward running styles, but ALL of them were questionable to move forward at the distance. none of then had what you might call, "slip away from the field and steal it" type speed. so I gathered that all of them would run conservatively trying to carry themselves as far as possible.

[taxicab]

Originally Posted by chadk66

that had to be one of the slowest first half mile's in Derby history. they were crawling.

2014 (California Chrome)- 23.0/47.1/111.4.
2011 (Animal Kingdom)- 23.1/48.3/113.2
2008 ( Big Brown)- 23.1/47.0/111.1

Like I said,the horses running with CC early were nowhere to be found at the wire.

[dannyhill]

Judging by the races surrounding the Derby it has to come up a low number figure wise. Not to mention We Miss Artie lost by only 8.

[rastajenk]

Actually, I thought he could have been the Commanding Curve kind of play. Eight lenghths, though...not bad.

[taxicab]

1979 (Spectacular Bid)- 47.2/112.2/137.3
1980 (Genuine Risk)- 48.0/112.4/137.3
1984 (Swale)- 47.2/111.4/136.3
1988 (Winning Colors)- 46.4/112.2/137.3

Headwind today.

[Mad Scientist]

Chrome ran his race. He sat right off the leaders and than Victor gave him his cue as they were entering the stretch and he opened up and put the field away and than Victor just let him gallop home without any urging.

He ran as fast as he needed to. What did you want Victor to do ??? Put this horse in a all out drive so his final time would look better to all his critics ???

They are thinking triple crown with this horse so why would they use him up when he already has the race won considering he know has the Preakness in 2 weeks and the Belmont three weeks after that ...

First it's he is a cal bred and than it's he has not beaten anybody and now it's his final time was slow. ...

The horse has just effortlessly demolished every horse he has faced the last 5 races and there are people still trying to knock him.

I guarantee you that even if this horse wins the triple crown that it still won't be good enough for a lot of people ....

[Smarty Cide]

Originally Posted by Mad Scientist

Chrome ran his race. He sat right off the leaders and than Victor gave him his cue as they were entering the stretch and he opened up and put the field away and than Victor just let him gallop home without any urging.

He ran as fast as he needed to. What did you want Victor to do ??? Put this horse in a all out drive so his final time would look better to all his critics ???

They are thinking triple crown with this horse so why would they use him up when he already has the race won considering he know has the Preakness in 2 weeks and the Belmont three weeks after that ...

First it's he is a cal bred and than it's he has not beaten anybody and now it's his final time was slow. ...

The horse has just effortlessly demolished every horse he has faced the last 5 races and there are people still trying to knock him.

I guarantee you that even if this horse wins the triple crown that it still won't be good enough for a lot of people ....

AMEN

[depalma113]

Originally Posted by Mad Scientist

Chrome ran his race. He sat right off the leaders and than Victor gave him his cue as they were entering the stretch and he opened up and put the field away and than Victor just let him gallop home without any urging.

He ran as fast as he needed to. What did you want Victor to do ??? Put this horse in a all out drive so his final time would look better to all his critics ???

They are thinking triple crown with this horse so why would they use him up when he already has the race won considering he know has the Preakness in 2 weeks and the Belmont three weeks after that ...

First it's he is a cal bred and than it's he has not beaten anybody and now it's his final time was slow. ...

The horse has just effortlessly demolished every horse he has faced the last 5 races and there are people still trying to knock him.

I guarantee you that even if this horse wins the triple crown that it still won't be good enough for a lot of people ....

Some can't see greatness when they are staring it in the face.

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by Mad Scientist

Chrome ran his race. He sat right off the leaders and than Victor gave him his cue as they were entering the stretch and he opened up and put the field away and than Victor just let him gallop home without any urging.

He ran as fast as he needed to. What did you want Victor to do ??? Put this horse in a all out drive so his final time would look better to all his critics ???

They are thinking triple crown with this horse so why would they use him up when he already has the race won considering he know has the Preakness in 2 weeks and the Belmont three weeks after that ...

First it's he is a cal bred and than it's he has not beaten anybody and now it's his final time was slow. ...

The horse has just effortlessly demolished every horse he has faced the last 5 races and there are people still trying to knock him.

I guarantee you that even if this horse wins the triple crown that it still won't be good enough for a lot of people ....

A lot of his haters are pedigree followers & the fact he was a cheap buy. I'm loving that people spend millions trying to win the derby & along comes blue collar people/workers & have their dreams come true.

Some things money can't buy........

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

A lot of his haters are pedigree followers & the fact he was a cheap buy. I'm loving that people spend millions trying to win the derby & along comes blue collar people/workers & have their dreams come true.

Some things money can't buy........

apart from the wagering and racing, I love this part of it. a blue collar nobody takes on all of the regally bred 3 and 4 hundred thousand dollar yearlings and leaves them in his wake. I'm a sucker for an underdog story like this.
although I have to admit I don't much care for the owners.

[breezing]

i think dale romans said it best:

I do want to say one thing on the record. I didn’t think that California Chrome had any chance going into this race and I was very, very
wrong. Whether the crop’s a good crop or not, that’s a special horse. I was wrong. I was a very big skeptic; I threw him out of all
my tickets in every spot. I didn’t think he fit the profile to win the Derby. I’m very impressed the way he came into it, the way he
looked, the way he was prepared and the way he ran. Now he has a new fan.”

http://admin.kentuckyderby.com/sites...r%20Quotes.pdf

i like california chrome because i've had the pleasure of watching him run and workout here in California. he is one of those horses that, while not the most physically impressive, just loves to run and makes it look easy. he's also one of those horses that seems to enjoy the spotlight and attention. he's also a little bit of a ham.

[Fager Fan]

Originally Posted by Mad Scientist

Chrome ran his race. He sat right off the leaders and than Victor gave him his cue as they were entering the stretch and he opened up and put the field away and than Victor just let him gallop home without any urging.

He ran as fast as he needed to. What did you want Victor to do ??? Put this horse in a all out drive so his final time would look better to all his critics ???

They are thinking triple crown with this horse so why would they use him up when he already has the race won considering he know has the Preakness in 2 weeks and the Belmont three weeks after that ...

First it's he is a cal bred and than it's he has not beaten anybody and now it's his final time was slow. ...

The horse has just effortlessly demolished every horse he has faced the last 5 races and there are people still trying to knock him.

I guarantee you that even if this horse wins the triple crown that it still won't be good enough for a lot of people ....

You're going overboard.

I'm ecstatic by the win, and it doesn't bother me that people are discussing the facts regarding this race. They are what they are, and that's what handicapping and this sport are about.

None of it means he isn't an exceptional horse and won't keep showing it. Relax. He's the real deal.

[holmmd]

I tried to beat him. I lost. He's a freak. Good on him. He earned it.