A Conversation with Makoto Fujita
California Chrome in his pasture at Arrow Stud Farm, Shinhidaka, Hokkaido, Japan
Casual Conversation with California Chrome’s groom , Mr. Makoto Fujita
(Kindly translated into English by Eiko LeMans)
A few weeks ago, I discovered 海外競馬ニュースch(Worldkeibanews ch), digital radio channel created in Japan by a group of horse racing fans who are especially interested in foreign races. Omusubi has been covering American horse racing. On 11/14 she invited Mr. Makoto Fujita, California Chrome’s groom and talked with him about his charge. I enjoyed listening to what they had to say and wanted to share it with other Chrome fans. I got in touch with Omusubi to ask if it was OK for me to translate the conversation into English and post it on Facebook. She had no problem with that and graciously clarified my questions and went over my translation. Even though I tried with the best of my ability, I had to edit dialogue and sometimes change orders to make a transcript of manageable length out of an hour long conversation. I also added footnotes wherever I thought helpful. Worldkeibanews ch was created and is operated by fans. Mr. Fujita did not appear as a representative of JS Company ( parent company of Arrow Stud Farm ) and any views expressed are personal and do not reflect those of JS Company.
The link below will take you to the orginal radio programme, in its original Japanese.
海外競馬ニュースch https://stand.fm/channels/5f54c2be6a9e5b17f725ab17
Twitter @worldkeibanews
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Omusubi(O): When Chrome was still racing, you had no idea he would be living at Arrow Stud in the future. What did you think of him? Were you following him as a racehorse?
Fujita(F): I saw him for the first time in Kentucky Derby. The way he won, I thought he was awesome.
O: He was so popular. His enthusiastic fans were called Chromies. They came to the racetrack in outfits of purple and green, color of his original racing silk. I saw a girl with a nasal strip, too. It was like Chrome cosplay. I can’t believe he is in Japan now. He also won his only start on turf, G1 Hollywood Derby.
F: American turf might be different from Japanese turf.
O: Could be but I don’t think it’s so different from Japanese turf as European turf is.
F: I think you are right. European turf seems very different.
(In Japan, most of prestigious races are run on turf including Japan Derby.)
O: I heard he was very smart. He used to remove a cap right off his assistant trainer’s head. I wonder if he can still do that.
F: I don’t know. He has never done that to me.
O: There are lots of pictures of him doing that. Will you try that next time with your cap?
F: OK.
O: Since he was a baby, he has been loved by people. He was the first foal of Love The Chase. The owners loved him. People around him loved him. Everybody petted him, paid him attention. That is why he is people oriented.
F: He is very, very friendly.
O: After retiring from racing, he became a stallion at Taylor Made Farm. I have been at the farm on California Chrome Experience tour. Between breeding duties, he was greeting visitors. He was a hard working horse. During the trip to the US, I visited Ashford Stud. There were a whole lot of people to see American Pharoah and Justify. I also went to Three Chimneys on a weekend tour. It was crowded, too. But Taylor Made had as many visitors just to see Chrome. All of us on the tour had our photos taken with Chrome. He was well behaved throughout, just standing there with his handler, munching on cookies between shots. Was it November last year when sale of Chrome was announced? I was so surprised. California Chrome! It was absolutely shocking.
F: I think my shock was twice as big.
O: Sure, he was coming to your farm. As a big fan of Shanghai Bobby, I was shocked when I heard Bobby was coming to Japan. But Chrome, he is a highly accomplished racehorse with a large following. I thought, “ Are you bringing a horse of that caliber to Japan? Seriously ?” How many mares did he cover this year?
F: 143
O: That’s impressive.
F: It is. Especially he started his season late.
O: Yes, he was sick for a while.
F: It was March when he started breeding on normal schedule.
O: What was it like when you were told Chrome was coming to Arrow Stud?
F: The first time I heard of that, my mind couldn’t connect what I had just heard with California Chrome. I went like,“ What ? What are you talking about?”
O: Was it like “ California Chrome? But not THAT California Chrome, right?”
F: Exactly. For a moment it didn’t sink in.
O: I know what you mean. It really was crazy. Who would have thought THAT California Chrome was coming to Japan?
F: At first I said, “What?” and then, “ Seriously?”
O: Were you told you would be in charge of him at the time ?
F: No, I wasn’t. Of course I was thinking I wanted to.
O: I’m sure you were. I was just stunned when I heard the news. I saw Chrome once at Taylor Made Farm. My honest feeling was it wasn’t fair. I went all the way to Lexington. Then I rode a bicycle from downtown Lexington to Taylor Made Farm. The tour guide told me I was the first to show up on a bicycle. And now he is coming to Hokkaido? But, but I had to travel so far! I felt the same way when my beloved Shanghai Bobby came to Japan. Because I had to make a trip to the US to see him before. Hokkaido is easier to visit than the US.
F: A lot easier.
O: I’d like to ask you some questions. What was your first impression of Chrome when he arrived?
F: I thought,” Wow, he is big!”
O: Oh, really?
F: I took him out and he knew how to pose. Beautiful stance. I thought, “ What a beautiful horse we’ve got!” After I took his measurements, I found out he wasn’t so big as I initially thought.
O: How tall is he?
F: 161cm.
O: Oh, that is not very tall.
F: No, compared with somebody like Lani, who is the tallest at Arrow Stud.
O: How tall is Lani?
F: He is over 170cm.
O: Lani is huge. I thought he looked big because he was gray.
F: Chrome looks taller than his real height, though. Maybe because of the way his neck is built. And he is very muscular.
O: I don’t know much about horse’s conformation but I agree he looks taller than 161cm. And he is flashy with big white marking on the face and 4 white socks. He is beautiful. No wonder he is an idol horse.
F: I got interested in Chrome because of his looks. I always liked flashy chestnut.
O: Is Toho Jackal your type? (One of Arrow Stud’s stallion. Chestnut with blond mane.)
F: Not quite… My type is more like..... Chrome. I love his huge white marking on the face.
O: I see. I don’t think of anybody else like that but Chrome right now. So that is the type of face you are attracted to?
F: Yes.
O: You have been a fan of him all along?
F: Since I saw him in Kentucky Derby, I have been watching as many race videos of him as I can find.
O: Then it’s like your dream has come true. Among Chrome’s contemporaries, Shared Belief was my favorite. What was that race? The one Shared Belief beat Chrome? San Antonio Stakes? My memory is not very clear on that one. Oh, no…I’m supposed to deliver information on this radio. Shame on me if all I can say is “ I think it was San Antonio Stakes.”
F: As a rule, I don’t memorize the names of the races he lost.
O: What is your favorite race?
F: 2016 Breeders Cup Classic. Although he didn’t win, it was unforgettable.
O: I remember you told me that. Arrogate beat him.
F: Those two were far ahead of the field and Arrogate beat him near the wire.
O: I cheered for Chrome like crazy. It was a very exciting race, indeed. Sadly Arrogate passed away so young. Among his winning races?
F: I like Kentucky Derby. In my mind, Pegasus World Cup doesn’t exist. Oh! I don’t even want to remember that.
O: Let’s go to the next question. What is the cutest thing Chrome has ever done? Any episode you can tell us?
F: The cutest thing he did? Let’s see. Well, it might not be a cute thing but one time he totally caught me by surprise. You see, usually he is just so lovable.
O: Yes?
F: And very gentle. He does nothing bad. Even during breeding.
O: You mean he is very gentle during breeding?
F: He doesn’t give us any problem at all.
O: Really?
F: But the first time he was booked to cover a gray mare,
O: what happened?
F: He got extremely excited and immediately raced to her.
O: He liked the mare because of her color?
F: I think so. My guess is he got into a shouting match with Lani as a reaction to Lani’s coat color .
O: What? He did? With Lani?
F: In Dubai.
(Lani’s assistant trainer tweeted the incident on 3/31/16. On his way back to his stall, Lani got into a roaring match with Chrome over the fence. It ended when Chrome took a few backwards steps and Lani moved on. Lani’s assistant trainer was sorry for his behavior towards American double crown winner. When the announcement was made that Chrome was coming to Arrow Stud, many Japanese fans found it interesting that the farm happened to be Lani’s home.)
O: Wow, I didn’t know that. And they live in the same farm now. That is dangerous. Chrome can’t leave gray horses alone?
F: Well, Chrome’s reaction to the gray mare was totally unexpected. I couldn’t stop him.
O: At Taylor Made, his neighbor across the isle was a gray horse named Graydar.
F: Oh, really?
O: I would think he is used to gray horses after spending his days looking at Graydar.
F: You think so? The moment he saw her in the breeding shed, he became out of control and he was gone in a hurry.
O: Oh my gosh! I didn’t expect an episode like that.
F: After the incident, whenever he is booked to a gray mare, I’m ready.
O: So you can control him, kind of.
F: Right. That’s how I found out gray mares were Chrome’s type. Lani likes chestnut mares by the way. They both roar a lot. So I wonder if their fight in Dubai was more like they were reacting to each other’s coat color.
O: But they are both boys! Displaying secret sexual preference ? No, I guess not! But I can believe horses have color preference. I used to be a fan of a stallion who refused to breed mares but occasionally got in mood for love with chestnut mares. At the same time, I thought horses couldn’t tell color.
F: I have heard they are almost color blind.
O: But gray must look different, I’m sure. And chestnut?
F: Maybe looks brighter.
O: Gray and chestnut. Mmmmmm…….Besides Chrome, which horses are you taking care of?
F: Big Arthur and Transcend.
O: Big Arthur is big and cute.
F: He’s got rippling muscles .
O: Big head, too.
F: Muscles even on his chin.
O: When he and Shanghai Bobby are poking their heads out of the windows side by side, the difference in the size of their heads is unbelievable. And what is Chrome like in his everyday life?
F: He is very smart and gentle but he is fussy about other stallions.
O: Really? Hard to imagine.
F: If he sees other horse passing by his stall, all of a sudden, he is full of fight.
O: Maybe that’s what made him the amazing racehorse he was. When I saw him at Taylor Made, he looked a little more excitable. Of course it was the breeding season. But here he is so relaxed.
F: He is relaxed even in the pasture, eating grass or sleeping until he sees other horse walking by. Then he will give chase.
O: How does he react to small animals? I heard Lani made a mad dash at a fox who stole into his pasture.
F: I have seen Lani doing that but not Chrome. He is like, “ What’s that?”
O: Oh, I see. When cats come close to him, he is like that, too. Isn’t it funny Lani gets so competitive with a small animal like a fox?
F: Lani even chased a cat in the pasture.
O: How scary. Lani being Lani. But he didn’t look like a fierce creature at all when I saw him in his stall.
F: He looks spaced-out in the stall.
O: Occasionally shows a glimpse of his Godzilla personality?
F: It’s like somebody turned on a switch. His personalities change. Chrome doesn’t have a weird switch like that.
O: Chrome just has fighting spirit.
F: Once in a while, when I go to his pasture to take him back to his stall, I can’t catch him. He runs away from me.
O:He doesn’t want to go home?
F: Maybe.
O: How cute! Chrome is cute whatever he does.
F: If I approach him when he is like that, he rears like he is about to strike.
O: Oh, I spoke too soon when I said that he was cute whatever he did. Do you get scared?
F: No, he always misses me.
O: Even when he is upset, he is still considerate.
F: Yes, he knows better.
O: Chrome loves cookies. Mrs. Pasture’s from the US. Anything else?
F: He isn’t too picky. Usually eats up all his feed. As for cookies, he is obsessed with them.
O: His love for cookies has been well known since his racing days. I saw the cookies sold in Taylor Made’s gift shop. Right before Chrome arrived in Japan, I ordered some. Cookies cost only ¥4,000 but shipping cost was ¥20,000.
F: Cost that much!?
O: It’s considered private import.
F: We receive a lot from American fans.
O: When I heard that, I thought I didn’t have to get them anymore. I think Americans spend lots of money to ship them, too.
F: Wow! We’ve got a huge supply.
O: Do you give them to other horses, too? Oh, I do remember we gave one to Sinister Minister.
F: He spat that out.
O: He was sucking it in his mouth for a long, long time like he was trying to figure out what it was and spat it out. That was funny.
F: Shanghai Bobby likes them.
O: Bobby likes everything. Seems like horses are given more variety of food in America. Once I saw a horse eating a doughnut.
F: Oh?
O: They often give mints to horses.
F: Are those doughnuts and mints made specifically for horses?
O: I don’t know about the doughnut but mints are for humans. You can buy them anywhere. They are pretty good. I was told Chrome wasn’t a fan of mints.
F: One of my coworkers dared to try Chrome’s cookie. According to him, the cookies Chrome loves so much don’t taste good.
O: I always wanted to try one of his cookies. At Taylor Made, I saw them for the first time. It was immediately obvious I wouldn’t be able to bite that thing. I would lose a tooth or two.
F: It’s like a rock. My coworker was sucking it in his mouth for a long time just like Sinister Minister.
O: Did he spit it out?
F: He didn’t.
O: He ate it? I’m impressed.
F: I like the smell of Chrome’s cookies. Every time I open the can, it smells so sweet.
O: I wonder if they taste sweet. What did your coworker say?
F: The guy said it was bitter. And hard.
O: Really? I wonder why Chrome loves them so much.
When did you realize how popular Chrome was?
F: Around Valentine’s Day. His birthday is around that time, too. It’s February 18th. We received chocolates, cards and of course, cookies, in quantity.
O: From America?
F: Yes. And there was this card we were amazed at! We were overwhelmed by the size of it. It was like a 50 inch TV!
O: What did it say?
F: In big letters, “I love you” or something like that.
O: Hahaha... Oh Chrome! I’m not surprised. What a guilty guy!
( a guilty guy: Japanese expression of a ladies’ man who makes many women cry)
F: Cards from abroad often have kiss marks.
O: I have sent a birthday card to Tiznow once but didn’t think of kiss mark. I glued orihuda ( a kind of origami ) instead.
F: That’s more Japanese.
O: What do you do with all those cards?
F: Everything is stored.
O: In your place?
F: No. The company keeps all of them.
O: I see. Probably the gigantic birthday card is too big for you to keep.
F: Some people enclose selfies.
O: Oh! They are seriously in love with him. He really is a guilty guy. But I understand. I am seriously in love with Tiznow. They love Chrome just like I love Tiznow.
F: The other thing is my Instagram account. Before Chrome, I had about 100 followers. Now I have more than 800.
O: I know! So many comments are in English ! Do they think you understand them?
F: That’s my problem!
O: JS Company’s Twitter has lots of English comments, too. Even my Twitter, I posted my beloved Shanghai Bobby and got 1 like while my Chrome post got 258 likes. I was a little sad. Please don’t forget Shanghai Bobby.
F: When I posted the photos of other horses, I received replies like, “ This is not Chrome.”
O: Hahaha, isn’t that terrible? When I posted a photo of a chestnut horse from Breeders Stallion, l received replies from Chrome fans.
F: I wish I could reply in English. My English is not good enough.
O: I usually reply in English but some comments, I don’t know how to respond to.
F: I found an interesting video on YouTube. Kind of like the life of California Chrome.
O: His life has been very well recorded. He has been cherished since he was born.
F: I’m wondering if it was posted by the person who took care of him in America. But I really don’t know. Anyway, the thumb nail photo of the video was me holding the reins of Chrome. What was amusing was the background. Behind me and Chrome, there was Mt. Fuji.
O: Oh! Mt. Fuji! Because he is in Japan! Haha..That’s cute. BloodHorse website uses photos of you and Chrome whenever they mention Chrome or JS Company. Who took those photos?
F: Our company did and sent them to the US.
O: Your face must be familiar to American fans. Chrome’s popularity is more than I expected.
F: It’s incredible.
O: I‘ll go my own way and stick with Shanghai Bobby.
F: Many Americans reply to my Shanghai Bobby posts, too.
O: Really! My Twitter’s Shanghai Bobby posts usually get only 1 like. I was beginning to think I might be the number one fan of him in the world. After my Chrome post received so many replies from American fans, I started adding English translation to my Twitter whenever I post American horses. Even then I don’t have many likes except for Chrome posts. I posted a nice photo of Bobby with a caption “ the most handsome boy in the world “ and got no reply. Then I posted Chrome. It wasn’t even the best photo of him. Still lots of likes. When I feature Shanghai Bobby in this channel, I’ll talk about him as much as I like. Today, I learned something new about Chrome. Like he likes gray mares. But I can’t imagine him breeding. He is such a cute type.
F: He is very good at it.
O: Is he efficient?
F: Makes our jobs easy.
O: What kind of mares did he cover? Large ones, small ones?
F: We don’t worry about the size of mares. There were stakes winners, dams of stakes winners….
O: I hope he will produce G1 winners.
F: I saw a video of a race in America. There was a Chrome filly running in what looked like a shallow river. Cilla is her name.
O: I have seen very sloppy tracks in the US. Small ponds here and there.
F: Horses were splashing water all over the place. She won by 7 lengths or so. Then she was in G1 race at Belmont. She finished 3rd. Although it was a distant 3rd.
O: We can look forward to the future of his progeny. Kentucky Derby, Breeders Cup...
And I hope he will have great success in Japan. How late will Arrow Stud be open for visitors?
F: Through mid December.
O: Please visit Arrow Stud to see Chrome.
F: You don’t have to do a thing to bring Chrome to the window.
O: I know that! Other horses have to be lured to the windows by carrots. Chrome shows up on his own. He really loves people.
F: He sure does.