Outside of the “super race fan” population, nobody cares that California Chrome won his most recent race, in preparation for for his chance at winning the Dubai World Cup, which is set for March 26th (a Saturday).
Let me break it down for you: CC just finished winning the Trans Gulf Electromechanical Handicap worth $143,000 at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. He won by an easy two lengths (a “length” meaning the length of a horse for those of you unfamiliar with the term), aka, it wasn’t a challenge at all for the 5yr old horse. CC is a talented horse, but he’s not that talented. In hindsight his win wasn’t that significant of an accomplishment when you take the time to look at who he actually competed against. There were several, SEVERAL, horses in the field at 99/1 odds. What’s better than 99/1 odds, how about 50/1 odds? Chrome competed against a group of nobodies and his victory is comparable to the ’86 Chicago Bulls beating up on a state championship winning high school team. 
Chrome’s most recent race, his victory, is everything that is wrong with the sport of racing. IT IS FULL OF WATERED DOWN COMPETITION. More is less. Why is the NBA and NFL so successful? Both of those leagues have a definitive “start” and “end” time, with a specific amount of scheduled events that allow for only the highest level of competition to play in. At the end of the season, the best of the best are awarded a trip to the postseason to compete for the ultimate prize, for a CHAMPIONSHIP. Horse Racing needs this, they don’t have it. Nobody in their right mind would pay to watch LeBron James compete against terrible talent, let alone watch it from their TVs. It’s boring and garners no competition, which is essential in every successful sport. Yet people in the race industry will still argue that his win was worthy of recognition… it’s not to the rest of the sporting world. Racing needs to build its fan base up, and races like the one Chrome just ran in, is exactly how not to do it.
California Chrome is an athlete, let him compete against other talented horses; against real competition. Use Chrome to build the sport’s fan base, market him properly and pit him against tougher competition and people will tune in. Until then, his win has no relevancy in the sports world and garners no attention when it comes to attracting new fans.
Provide great talent, create enduring competition and market the hell out of the race ahead of time. That’s how you turn the sport around. That’s how you get racing to consistently show up on ESPN, etc. Change certain aspects of the sport and in the end you’ll have the best product/entertainment out there.
Watch Chrome’s “amazing” victory in the United Arab Emirates here: Courier-Journal
Witt's Horse Racing 
Have you ever heard of the Breeders’ Cup World *CHAMPIONSHIPS*?
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I’ve heard of the Breeder’s World Cup if that’s what you mean. But have non horse racing fans heard of it, probably not.
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It’s called the Breeder’s Cup World Championship not World Cup. Your confusing The Dubai World Cup. But no if ask a person that doesn’t know anything about racing they wouldn’t know.
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It IS called the Breeder’s Cup World Championships, NOT Breeder’s World Cup
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You say that you love horse racing and can’t even get the name of the biggest weekend in the sport right??? Go back to your boring life and quit trolling on horse racing sites. You know NOTHING about the sport you claim to love.
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Wow.. Are you sure you work in the industry? If you did, you would know that it is the BREEDERS’ CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, and yes that people who aren’t involved with the industry every day have heard of it.
Plus you just admitted that horse racing does have a Championship? Even though you don’t actually know what it is correctly called.
So doesn’t that make one of the big arguments in your article completely invalid?
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The Breeders’ Cup races, none of which Chrome ever won, are self-named “World Champship” but there is no world-wide recoginition that the winner is the best in the world. If it did convey a true championship, Chrome would not have been gifted the Eclipse award for Champion 3yo male or Horse of the year because HE DID NOT WIN the race.
There is no world or even national championship race. The championship awards are voted on, based on opinions of voters, which often has more to do with marketing than actual accomplishment.
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First of all Chrome deserved Horse of the Year and 3 year old the Year. His 3 year old season was by far better than ANY of his competitors. He nearly claimed the Triple Crown. If it hadn’t been for a bad start and getting injured he more than likely would have won the Triple Crown. He ran 3rd in the Breeder’s Cup Classic and 2nd in the Dubai World Cup. That is a fantastic racehorse. He earned his Eclipse awards. They were NOT GIFTED to him. Oh by the way he won the Vox Populi award as well. That is the VOICE OF THE PEOPLE award. He is a champion. He may not win every race no, but does finish strong. This horse is amazing and he will show everyone just how amazing he is STILL on March 26. Win or lose he is a champion!!
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The reason it is called Breeder’s Cup World Championship’s is because all horses from all over the world are welcome to run.
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In the Dubai World Cup-California Chrome will be running against so-called real competition.This horse is a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.Okay?I am so tired of people kicking around this horse.He has AP Indy and Seattle Slew in his bloodlines. It is the same old tired story.Move on……
.
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California Chrome has run against real competition and will be doing so in the Dubai World Cup.He has been kicked around enough.This is a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner.It shows how little you really know about horses and horseracing.AP Indy and Seattle Slew are in his bloodlines.
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No horse on this planet has AP Indy in its pedigree without also having Seattle Slew, since Slew sired AP Indy. No matter, these horses are well up his pedigree (AP Indy is his great-grandsire) and there are thousands of horses with him that far away.
Chrome won those classic races nearly 2 years ago and has won exactly 3 races in the past 21 months. He has not been “kicked around” as much as mishandled by a bunch of near-amatuers at this level of racing.
Horse in training have done much better than he in Dubai yet do not get 10% of the press.
Frosted has already won against Graded/Group stakes winners in record time on the Meydan track this month, but from the coverage one would think Chrome the more impressive win when that could not be further from the truth.
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California Chrome ran just like he should have in the PREP race. This wasn’t supposed to be a major challenge. It was just suppose to get him warmed up for the DWC. So NO this wasn’t a really competitive field but it’s the way that he won the race. Victor Espinoza never really moved on him, he didn’t use his whip once. That my friends is amazing when you watch the race again watch the other jockey the are whipping and bouncing around on their horses back. Victor is just sitting chilly and wins easy on a fresh horse. Chrome looked like he had just gone out for a jog. He wasn’t breathing hard and looked amazing. This horse is bigger and stronger and faster that when he ran in the Triple Crown. He WILL compete in the DWC and will do well. I think he will win!! Of course I’m a Chromie!! I have watched every race this horse has ever run in and admire him. Even in his defeat last year against Prince Bishop in the DWC he showed just what a great horse is!! Seriously??? Who cares was NON HORSE RACING fans think.
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Chrome’s win is impressive because a horse like Chrome isn’t supposed to win. Only horses that have rich owners and huge pedigree’s are supposed to win. This horse makes everyday watchers think there is a chance for all of us to have that same experience unlike American Pharoah which hadly any of us could ever hope to come close to attaining.
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It’s called a PREP race…..for a reason. PREP….look it up.
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