not particularly like that particular track, saying "he never actually felt comfortable on it." California Chrome's connections drew post position five for the Derby. He was the morning line favorite at odds of 5–2. The press suggested that the number five spot, relatively close to the inside rail, could be a problem owing to the "speed horses" that would go to the front early in the race, surrounding him on both sides, especially if the colt was slow out of the gate. Espinoza countered by pointing out that he won the 2002 Kentucky Derby on War Emblem from the same post position. In the race, California Chrome had a clean start and could have taken the lead, but Espinoza kept him behind two speed horses and only moved him to the front at the final turn when other horses began to tire. In the homestretch, he opened up a lead of five lengths before Espinoza eased him the last 70 yards of the race, narrowing his winning margin to lengths. Sherman later explained that Espinoza slowing the colt down at the finish was "saving something for the next one", a reference to the Preakness Stakes to come two weeks later. The winning time of 2:03.66 was relatively slow for a Kentucky Derby, but Sherman described Espinoza's ride as "picture perfect". This win was Espinoza's second Derby victory, and 77-year-old Sherman became the oldest trainer to ever win the race. In a post-race press interview, Sherman said he had visited Swaps' grave at the Kentucky Derby Museum prior to the Derby and prayed for success. Trainer Dale Romans, who had asserted that California Chrome had no chance to win, said, "I was very, very wrong ... We might have just seen a super horse and a super trainer. You don't fake your way to the winner's circle at the Kentucky Derby." Preakness Stakes California Chrome shipped on May 12 to Baltimore to run in the 2014 Preakness Stakes on May 17. On the plane were the other two Derby competitors to enter the Preakness: Ride On Curlin and General a Rod. Once on the ground, their van had a police escort from the airport to Pimlico Race Course. When California Chrome arrived at Pimlico, the management at that track welcomed him with two saddlecloths for his workouts, one with the "Califorina" misspelling and the other with the correct spelling; Just as