History Walks By: The story of California Chrome

Williams: After we retired him, there was very limited interest from Kentucky breeding farms, and at a pretty low dollar value, around $20,000 or $30,000. We

Love the Chase posed with Steve Coburn a few weeks before California Chrome won the Kentucky Derby :: Kohjiro Kinno/SI

California Chrome's victory in the Kentucky Derby was his fifth straight with jockey Victor Espinoza :: Bill Frakes/SI

Williams: After we retired him, there was very limited interest from Kentucky breeding farms, and at a pretty low dollar value, around $20,000 or $30,000. We decided to do it ourselves and send him down to [Harris Farms Horse Division president] John Harris. [Lucky Pulpit's] third crop [of foals] gave us a Derby horse, Rousing Sermon. [Lucky Pulpit] was bred to Love the Chase in his fifth crop.

Perry Martin (left) and Steve Coburn (right) spent less than $10,000 for the horse that won the Derby :: Bill Frakes/SI

After a slow start in 2013, trainer Art Sherman and California Chrome have won their last six races / Associated Press

Victor Espinoza, who won the 2002 Derby and Preakness on War Emblem, liked California Chrome :: Bill Frakes/SI

For me, I look at it like this: History walked by me and I brushed up against it.