Multiple graded stakes winner Texas Chrome should arrive at Oaklawn in early February to begin preparing for his 4-year-old campaign, trainer J.R. Caldwell said Tuesday morning, adding he’s targeting the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 15 for the Texas-bred’s comeback spot.
“Don’t think we’ll get anything in before that,” Caldwell said. “We’ll just go there and use that as a prep for his summer run.”
Caldwell said Texas Chrome was freshened following a ninth-place finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
Texas Chrome is at owner Danny Keene’s Friendswood Farm in Hot Springs, Caldwell said, following a 2016 season highlighted by victories in the $400,000 Super Derby (G3) Sept. 10 at Louisiana Downs and $400,000 Oklahoma Derby (G3) Sept. 25 at Remington Park.
“He had a hard little campaign,” Caldwell said. “We gave him some time off to grow up a little bit and get ready for his 4-year-old campaign.”
Texas Chrome’s eight-race 2016 schedule began with a third-place finish in last April in Oaklawn’s $150,000 Bachelor Stakes. In addition to the Super Derby and Oklahoma Derby, he won the $75,000 Texas Stallion Stakes May 15 at Lone Star Park and the $100,000 Super Derby Prelude Stakes Aug. 6 at Louisiana Downs.
“Fantastic year,” Caldwell said.
Keene purchased Texas Chrome, a Texas-bred son of Grasshopper, for $10,000 at the Texas Summer Yearling Sale. The colt bred by Craig Upham has bankrolled $842,807 off eight victories from 14 lifetime starts.
From Oaklawn news release