California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman has raised the startling possibility the colt could miss the final leg of the Triple Crown because of New York rules barring nasal strips.
If California Chrome were to win the Belmont Stakes on June 7, he would be the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years.
The idea that the charismatic horse can pull off the signature achievement has the thoroughbred racing world abuzz.
For years, racing lovers have said the sport needs a superstar in the mould of Secretariat or Seattle Slew to mitigate declines in attendance and mainstream interest.
California Chrome’s connections have seemed as excited at the possibility as anyone. But that didn’t stop trainer Art Sherman from raising doubts when asked about the New York policy.
“Hey, we might have a little controversy here,” the 77-year-old Sherman said as he bantered with reporters at Pimlico the morning after California Chrome’s Preakness win.
The New York State Gaming Commission responded in a statement saying they had not received any application for the nasal strips to be used.
“If a request to use nasal strips is made, the decision on whether to permit them or not will be fully evaluated and determined by the stewards,” the statement said.
It wasn’t clear how serious Sherman was, and he did say he could not speak for the horse’s co-owners, Steve Coburn and Perry Martin.
“It might be an issue,” he said. “I’m not saying it will be.”
The Flair equine nasal strip is similar to adhesives used by some professional athletes who say the strips, worn across the bridge of the nose, help them breathe in the heat of competition.
Sherman said Martin raised the idea of using the strip for California Chrome, and the trainer believes it has helped.
“I think it gives him that extra oomph,” he said.
“Anytime you can have a good air passage, it means a lot.”
The issue highlights an enduring frustration in thoroughbred racing – the arcane differences in rules from state to state.
California, Kentucky and Maryland, for instance, have no regulations prohibiting the use of nasal strips, which have been common in the sport for about 15 years. In New York, the strips are allowed in harness racing but not for thoroughbreds, although the decision ultimately lies with stewards governing each track.
