18 SIDELINES AUGUST 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Kathryn Murphy
California Chrome’s bid for the Triple Crown ended with his
fourth-place dead-heat finish in the Belmont Stakes — extending
the quest for a long-awaited Triple Crown victory another year.
Despite the tumultuous Belmont day, California Chrome still has
a great story — a story that almost ended before he arrived at the
Belmont race in New York.
The inexpensive chestnut colt with the big white blaze had
already won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness when a
rule in the state of New York threatened to cut short Chrome’s
bid to end the 36-year Triple Crown drought. The New York rule
prevented racehorses from wearing nasal strips while racing —
nasal strips that Chrome had worn in his last six races. The nasal
strips, similar to what humans wear to bed at night, are considered
a mechanical device and are drug-free.
News that the State of New York was going to enforce the rule
and not allow Chrome to wear the FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips was
met with an uproar from the equestrian community. Chrome’s
trainer, Art Sherman, publicly stated that the horse might not race
in the last leg of the Triple Crown if he wasn’t allowed to wear a
nasal strip.
New York lifted the ban on the nasal strips, however, allowing
Chrome and his fans to breathe a little easier. Prior to the start of
the Belmont, the newscasters showed off the FLAIR nasal strips
and crowds of people were seen wearing human nasal strips —
but the issue still raised concern as to why the nasal strips were
banned to begin with.
Two veterinarians, Jim Chiapetta and Ed Blach, developed
FLAIR to offer a drug-free product to support the intense
demand on a horse’s nasal passages while running, and also
reduce bleeding. After 14 years of educating racing stewards,
e
veterinarians and equestrians in all disciplines, the ban in New
York was disheartening to Dr. Chiapetta and Dr. Blach.
“We’ve been working on this since 1999 when Breathe Right
initially marketed the product,” Dr. Chiapetta said. “We were trying
to get through to New York when I’ll Have Another won the Derby
and the Preakness in 2012. New York was inflexible and really
didn’t give us a good reason for it. Every horse has their own
little quirks; some of them like a particular bit, some of them like a
particular bridle. This horse apparently liked his nasal strips. So,
why, on the most important day of his life, would you say to this
horse, ‘We aren’t going to let you run with that thing you like, but
all these other horses can run with whatever they like’? So, I think
it was partly an equity issue, and partly, it just forced the issue for
New York.”
While California Chrome has found success with FLAIR, he isn’t
the only famous equine to sport the nasal strips on his nose. During
the 2014 Kentucky Rolex Three-Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky,
the FLAIR nasal strips were a common sight. Americans Lauren
Kieffer, who placed second, and Buck Davidson, who claimed
third place, both rode horse’s wearing nasal strips. The winner of
this year’s eventing Badminton Horse Trials, Sam Griffiths’ mount
Paulank Brockagh, also wore the strips.
While Chrome’s humble beginnings are the stuff movies are
made of, the fight to have him wear the nasal strips is all about the
health of the horse. “Art Sherman and his team have always been
focused squarely on the health of the horse,” Dr. Blach said. “Art
has said that publicly, and the owners have said repeatedly, that if
the horse is not right, if he’s not completely healthy, don’t take him
out. We commend that. Our focus is on the health of the horse as
well and we support that wholeheartedly. That’s always been our
approach, and as veterinarians, that’s what we’re about.”
Dr. Blach went on to say, “We believe that Art making that
Breathing Easy with California Chrome
California Chrome
Photo courtesy of photographer/USA TODAY
