By Bill Finley
When California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) makes his final start in the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup, Alberto Delgado will be doing what a lot of people will be doing. He'll be at Gulfstream to watch the race and admire one of the greatest horses of the era. But Delgado's connection to the 6-year-old goes well beyond that of a mere fan or admirer of the horse. He used to be his jockey.
Some may not remember that Victor Espinoza has not always ridden California Chrome. In four of his first five starts, he was ridden by the journeyman Delgado. Corey Nakatani also rode him on one occasion before Espinoza took over. Delgado, now 52, last rode California Chrome in the Nov. 1, 2013 Golden State Juvenile S. at Santa Anita, finishing sixth. Chrome made $102,600 in races in which Delgado rode, meaning his cut was about $10,000. Under Espinoza, California Chrome has made over $14 million. That jockey has made seven figures alone riding the star, which doesn't include breeding rights.
“It's part of the game,” said Delgado, who is riding the meet at Gulfstream for trainer Dane Kobiskie. “I'd be lying to you guys if I told you I wasn't upset, but I know that's how it goes. I feel privileged to have been able to ride him. That's the good thing.”
Delgado was the 1982 Eclipse Award winner as the nation's outstanding apprentice and has won more than 2,900 races, most of them at the Maryland tracks. But there's not much more to be said of his accomplishments. He's never won a Grade I race, but did finish second in the 1995 GI Preakness aboard Oliver's Twist (Horatius).
Struggling in Maryland, he went to California in 2012 to try to revive his career and hooked on with Sherman. Delgado would ride California Chrome in the afternoons and his brother, Willie, did the work in the morning as Chrome's exercise rider.
California Chrome made his career debut Apr. 26, 2013 at Hollywood Park in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race for California-breds. He finished second. Three weeks later, he was entered in a race at the same distance and with Delgado aboard won by 2 3/4 lengths.
“The day he broke his maiden I got off him and told the owner this horse will win the Derby next year. Honest to God, I did,” Delgado said. “They looked at me like I had three heads. He was a 'Cal-bred' and while they thought he had potential they didn't think all that much of him. I kept telling everybody this is the best horse in California and nobody believed me. I've been riding a long time and have ridden some nice horses and I knew he was special.”
Nakatani rode California Chrome in his next start, a fifth-place finish in the Willard Proctor Memorial S. Delgado was put back on for a win in the Graduation S. and then finished sixth aboard the then 2-year-old in the GI Del Mar Futurity and the Golden State Juvenile.
A jockey of Delgado's stature likely never could have kept the mount on a horse as good as California Chrome, but his chances of sticking on him for a while longer all but ended in the Golden State Juvenile. California Chrome experienced a world of trouble that day.
“They never told me why they took me off the horse but I assume it was because of that race,” Delgado said. “He was in the one hole. It was Breeders' Cup [Friday] and the track was very fast. In my mind, I was going to go to lead and just open up. When the gate opened he reared straight up in the air. I got left. Normally when that happens the right thing to do is to let the horse settle into stride, save ground and then somewhere down the line make a run. He was very rank, was climbing a lot; very uncomfortable on inside and unfortunately I couldn't get him to the outside.”
Espinoza took over next out for a win in the King Glorious S. and has been on California Chrome ever since.
Delgado | Benoit
“He wasn't riding that many horses and at the time he had made as few mistakes on that horse that cost him,” trainer Art Sherman said. “Sometimes things happen and I'm not saying it was his fault. I don't like blaming jockeys. But the owners said maybe we should try to get a top 10 rider. It gets that way when you have a good horse. It's unfortunate, but that's what happens in that happens in this game. I like him a lot. He's a very nice guy.”
California Chrome is on his way to the Hall of Fame and Espinoza has made a not-so-small fortune riding the horse. As for the Delgado Brothers, Willie no longer works for Sherman and is galloping horses in Ocala. Alberto Delgado has not won a stakes race since his 2013 victory in the Graduation aboard California Chrome and he won just 11 races in 2014, 2015 and 2016 combined. Still, he keeps his head up.
“All you can go is keep riding, keep swinging the bat,” he said. “You never know when the next good one is right around the corner.”
He did see California Chrome at the 2014 Preakness and said he had a cordial reunion with the connections, reminding them that he was the first person to predict greatness for the horse. He has not seen California Chrome since and will not do so until race day. He works every day at Palm Meadows and California Chrome is stabled at Gulfstream. But even if he doesn't have a mount on the Jan. 28 card, Delgado said he will definitely be at the track, there to root on an old friend.
“Absolutely, I will be rooting for him,” he said. “I'm proud of him. I feel blessed I was able to ride him.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
