Will
California Chrome become the Richest Racehorse of All-Time?
A true “Rags to Riches American Dream,” California Chrome's sire (dad) Lucky Pulpit, was an unknown stallion who stood for just $2,500. He was bred to Chrome's dam (mom), Love the Chase, an unproven race mare that never had a foal. Together, this unlikely duo produced California Chrome, winner of the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Chrome has earned over $6.1mm lifetime and with a
Dubai World Cup win, he would become the richest North American thoroughbred Racehorse of all-time.
Here are the horses that Chrome is chasing on the all-time money list.
Curlin
The only North American bred racehorse to earn over $10mm,
Curlin's two year racing career was nothing short of spectacular. First in the Preakness, second in the Belmont and third in the Kentucky Derby, Curlin finished out of the money in only one of 16 starts lifetime. Winner of the Dubai Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic in 2008, Curlin has gone on to a spectacular post-racing career. His offspring have earned over $25mm racing and he stands above the crowd as a rare, Sire of Sires. Owned by Stonestreet Farms, Curlin currently stands for $100,000 (for a live foal) at Hill ‘n' Dale Farms in Lexington Kentucky.
Cigar
A fan favorite and superstar racehorse,
Cigar filled every track he visited while amassing a winning streak of 16 and earnings just shy of $10mm including the Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup. Just a so-so racehorse at three and four, Cigar's transformation as an older horse is often attributed to the Hall-of-Fame jockey and trainer combination of Jerry Bailey and Bill Mott. A gelding who never had a chance to become a stallion, debunked Freud's notion that
“sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”
Skip Away
Runner up in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1996,
Skip Away amassed over $9.6mm during his four year racing career. Winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic in 1997, he raced in 31 Graded Stakes, finishing out of the money only once, ironically enough in the last start of his career. Get his lifetime charts here.