Texas Chrome in Great Shape after Super Derby Victory

BOSSIER CITY, La. – Texas Chrome was “full of himself” on Sunday, said trainer J.R. Caldwell the morning after the horse ran the biggest race of his career in the Grade 3, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
Texas Chrome’s next scheduled race is the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby.

“He’s fantastic,” Caldwell said. “He looked great, was full of himself, proud of himself, and ready to get on home.”

Texas Chrome left the Louisiana Downs backstretch early Sunday, bound for his base of Remington Park. His next race is scheduled at home in the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby on Sept. 25, Caldwell said.

The Super Derby was the sixth career stakes win for Texas Chrome, and for his effort he earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96. He stalked the pace, came between rivals on the final turn, and dueled with Dalmore to the late stages for a half-length win under jockey C.J. McMahon. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Whateverybodywants in third.

“All three horses ran a great race,” Caldwell said. “It was his day. His trip. His fight to win.”

The Oklahoma Derby is Sept. 25, and Caldwell will approach Texas Chrome’s training a little differently than he did up to the Super Derby, when the horse had nearly five weeks from his win in the Prelude at Louisiana Downs to the main event Saturday.

“He’s dead fit,” Caldwell said. “Talking to C.J., he galloped out really strong [Saturday]. We’ll keep him healthy and happy the next couple of weeks and hope he fires a good one.”

Caldwell said Texas Chrome also will have the benefit of running out of his stall for the first time in a while. He noted the horse shipped from his summer base of Lone Star Park in Texas to Churchill Downs for the Grade 3 Matt Winn, a race in which he finished third to Gun Runner. Caldwell said two weeks later, Texas Chrome was back on the road, going from Lone Star to Prairie Meadows, where he ran second to American Freedom in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby.

“Now, we can lead out of our barn and don’t have to haul,” Caldwell said.

The Super Derby was the first graded stakes win for Caldwell and owner Danny Keene. They will attempt to keep that train rolling on Saturday at Churchill Downs, where Bling On the Music is set to chase after her third straight stakes win in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pocahontas.