California Chrome shows off flashy looks

California Chrome comes from modest breeding, but he inherited some flashiness in the looks department.

His face has a large blaze on it, causing the white nasal strips he wears during races to blend in. He also has four white socks, which some owners and trainers view as a negative.

Steve Cauthen, who rode Affirmed to the last Triple Crown in 1978, compared a horse having white feet to a light-skinned person who may be prone to infections and skin diseases more than someone with darker skin.

“That’s as much why most trainers dislike having so much white,” he said.