5 Ways Chromies Can Console Themselves

June 7, 2014Carla LakeUncategorized#BELMONT, #Triple Crown, racing1 Comment

Feeling down after another year without a Triple Crown winner? Horse Nation is here to help you wallow.

As Tonalist took the lead and California Chrome struggled to pull out of fourth place, legions of Chromies’ hearts dropped. A Triple Crown win was not in the cards for the beloved all-American horse.

So if you’re feeling a little down…we’ve got a couple ways to improve your weekend post-Belmont:

Drink. Celebrate California Chrome’s past successes with a Mint Julep or a Black-Eyed Susan, or just drown your pain in whatever libations you happen to have on hand. Bonus points if it’s a horse-themed drink like Take the Reins, a Trojan Horse, or 14 Hands wine.

This year’s Black-Eyed Susan recipe

Whine. Listen, I don’t fault co-owner Steve Coburn for being a bit of a sore loser. After the race, NBC coverage showed him grumbling about the unfairness of fresh horses being allowed to compete with those who had already run in the Derby and the Preakness, saying that it was “the coward’s way out.” His argument for an “all or nothing” style of racing at Belmont are sure to spark some debates at tonight’s Belmont parties.

Don’t look at your bank account. This is not advised in general if you are involved with horses, but especially if you just made a losing bet on the Triple Crown contender.

Play matchmaker. Even if you could never afford California Chrome’s stud fee (estimated at $25k), it’s always fun to dream about which ex-racehorses will play a role in bringing about the next generation of top sporthorses. Would you love Tonalist’s power combined with your Hanoverian’s movement? Or California Chrome’s large heartgirth to add stamina?

Or you can just go crazy looking at CANTER horses. We won’t judge. (In fact, we’ll enable you with a bajillion articles on what to look for in a retraining prospect.)

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Go Riding. We may not all be involved in the world of Thoroughbred racing. But this year more than most, I think that riders of all disciplines rallied behind California Chrome’s rags-to-riches story. It gave us all a sense of hope that even ordinary people can aspire to greatness. So enjoy your ride this weekend…especially if you are lucky enough to get a taste of that amazing racehorse heart with an OTTB.