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America’s Chamberlain Bridge Keeps Sprinting Along

  • I'm a fan
    My Favorite
  • February 12, 2011 4:49 AM
It’s not often that a Breeders’ Cup winner makes an appearance at Sam Houston Race Park. Nor is it customary to see a horse prep for an engagement on World Cup Night in Dubai by way of Houston, but that is exactly the plan for one of America’s best turf horses. Chamberlain Bridge has always been a road warrior, but in 2011 it appears he is set to take things to a new level. Fresh off a smashing win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, the seven-year-old gelded son of BC Mile winner, War Chant, will launch his fifth season of racing tomorrow night at Sam Houston in the $75,000 Rail Splitter Stakes.

Trained by native Texan, Bret Calhoun, and ridden by Jamie Theriot, Chamberlain Bridge should be right at home in the Rail Splitter. The five furlong affair on the turf drew a full field of 10 older sprinters, but the race features only one true star, and he towers over the field.

After starting his career as a three-year-old in 2007, he quickly discovered his forte as a turf sprinting specialist. In his last 27 races, 26 of them have come in turf sprints between five and six furlongs. He has won 14 of those 26 tries on grass, and has now amassed more than a million and a half in earnings. Saturday’s race will be his first effort since the Breeders’ Cup score three months ago, and If everything transpires as planned, it will be on to Meydan Race Course for the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on March 26.

[At #97, is Chamberlain Bridge ranked way too low on HRN's Rankings of Active Horses?]

On top of his excellent record and ten lifetime stakes wins, Chamberlain Bridge has had the added obstacle of consistently needing to hit the road to find opportunities for his specialty. It has been more than two years and 16 races since he has run at the same racetrack twice in a row. In 2009 he ran exclusively in stakes races, running at nine different tracks in nine races. Last year he followed a very similar schedule, culminating with his big win at Churchill Downs.
 
 

Fans of thoroughbred racing do not get to see horses of consistent excellence, over long careers, nearly as often as they have in years past. Chamberlain Bridge has proven to be one of those horses we now long for. I congratulate Sam Houston for attracting him, and I applaud the connections of Chamberlain Bridge for allowing him to become one of America’s horses.

 

 

What the Nation is saying about America’s Chamberlain Bridge Keeps Sprinting Along...

ruby...yes:)
Chamberlain Bridge is so awesome. Don't we all feel stupid for not loading up on him BC day?
Another win for Chamberlain Bridge, he takes the Rail Splitter Stakes by a length. Should be on to Dubai now.
Turf sprints are so much fun to watch, and this guy is our best of the best. His BC was breathtaking!
Yes, Chamberlain Bridge is a game runner and ranked way too low at #97. I will vote him up, maybe some others can help!

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Chamberlain Bridge Jamie Theriot Meydan-UAE Sam Houston Race Park W. Bret Calhoun

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Meet Brian Zipse 

Brian has been a passionate fan of horse racing since birth. Taken to the races at a very young age, he has been lucky enough to see all the greats in person from Secretariat and Ruffian through Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta. Before coming to the Nation, Brian displayed his love for the sport through the development of his horse racing website, which quickly became one of the most popular blogs in the game. 
  
As Managing Editor of Horse Racing Nation, Brian authors a daily column as Zipse at the Track, or ZATT for short, and adds his editorial flare to the overall content of the website. You can also find Brian regularly on the social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter.
  
A graduate of DePaul University, Brian lives in Suburban Chicago with his wife Candice and daughter Kendra, where he is a professional golf instructor when he is not following the horses.