California Chrome’s Career by the Numbers

Racing
California Chrome and Victor Espinoza in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational post parade. (Eclipse Sportswire)

California Chrome has concluded his four-year career. Though it didn’t end the way many would have liked, the reigning Horse of the Year remains one of the most popular racehorses of modern times, with legions of faithful fans and his own merchandise line. While he settles in at Taylor Made Farm for stud duty, check out some of his remarkable accomplishments in the list below.

No. 1 – California Chrome’s ranking in earnings in 2016. He’s also the top-earning Thoroughbred of all time in North America.

2 – The number of times California Chrome put together a win streak of six races, in 2013-14 and in 2016.

2 – Vox Populi Awards given to California Chrome. Vox Populi means “Voice of the People,” and he’s the only horse to get the award twice.

3 – The number of times California Chrome has finished worse than third since 2013, from 20 starts.

3.8 lengths – The average margin of victory in California Chrome’s seven 2016 wins.

4 – California Chrome has four Eclipse Awards to his name, including two Horse of the Year titles.

5 – The number of years California Chrome raced in; each year from 2013 through 2017.

Chrome and Alan Sherman. (Eclipse Sportswire)

7 – Total number of states or countries California Chrome competed in: California, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, the United Arab Emirates and Florida. He also trained in England but scratched from his planned race there.

8.49 furlongs – The average distance California Chrome won at, which is about 1 1/16 miles.

10 – The number of tracks California Chrome raced at one or more times in his career.

13 – Stakes wins by California Chrome, including seven Grade 1s from 10 graded stakes tallies overall.

15 – The number of times bettors made California Chrome the favorite; on 10 of those occasions Chrome was the odds-on favorite.

16 – Total lifetime wins.

19 – The number of Grade 1 winners finishing behind California Chrome in his two championship seasons.

100% – California Chrome’s win percentage on turf. He won his only turf start, the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in 2014.

100% – California Chrome’s in-the-money (top-three finish) percentage in races at the 1 ¼ mile distance from seven races, including four wins. His overall in-the-money percentage? 78 percent.

$10,000 – Initial investment required by California Chrome’s owners. They paid $8,000 for his dam, Love the Chase, and bred her to stallion Lucky Pulpit for a $2,000 fee.

$40,000 – Cost to breed a mare to California Chrome in 2017.

$546,394 – The average dollar amount California Chrome earned in each of his 27 starts.

$14,752,650 – Total career earnings by California Chrome, a North American record.

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