Chrome's lucky talisman for the Triple Crown is a misspelled saddle blanket.

How do you spell California Chrome? Well, in Kentucky, somehow it got spelled "Califorina Chrome" on his saddle blanket, and track officials presented that to the horse when he got to town. Some folks felt it was a slight, maybe done on purpose. Racing writers across the country smirked at Churchill Downs' error. It was embarrassing. Then Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness, did the same thing — on purpose.

Why? Because anything that's worked to get California Chrome to the winners' circle thus far should not be messed with. Chrome won the Kentucky Derby after getting that misspelled saddle blanket. Now it's part of the winning equation.

As soon as Chrome arrived in the Big Apple to prep for the third leg of the Triple Crown, naturally, Belmont officials presented his owners with another misspelled saddle blanket. If — ahem — when he wins, Team Chrome promises to autograph it and auction it for charity.

Then there’s that nasal strip that caused a brief commotion two weeks ago. If New York racing officials didn’t let Chrome wear the nasal strip, well then, said trainer Art Sherman, the owners might withdraw from the race.

“Perry Martin, he might not run if they say you can’t run with a nasal strip," Sherman said, referring to California Chrome's co-owner. "He’s very funny about things like that."

Nasal strips are not performance enhancing, and the horse trains without it. So, you'd think his connections wouldn't go to the mat if he couldn't wear it. Thankfully, we never had to find out: Racing officials quickly changed that rule.

The luck of the possum?

Then there is the possum story. A possum scared a lot of people on the track one misty morning at Belmont. The marsupial started ambling across the race track while Chrome was galloping down the stretch. Most high-strung thoroughbreds would spook and possibly injure themselves. Everyone watching held their breath. The possum spooked the horse next to Chrome. But you can see in the video from Blood-Horse, Chrome remains oblivious to the possum. And I consider that very lucky, though assistant trainer Alan Sherman, says, heck, they have coyotes at Los Alamitos, so Chrome wasn’t going to be bothered by a little old possum, anyway.

More information at Blood-Horse

Even if you discount luck, there is good reason to believe California Chrome will be the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years — and the first ever California-bred to win it. The telltale sign is that he’s putting on weight, and he’s training like he wants more work. He's run a lot of hard races this year. Even good horses might get worn out, become less interested in racing and go off their feed. Not Chrome. He’s pulling his rider around the track in the mornings and still loving to run. Another video from Blood-Horse showed his latest workout, which had onlookers raving about him — even some East Coast handicappers who pooh-poohed him before both the Derby and Preakness.

More information at Blood-Horse

Triple CrownTriple Crown

California Chrome Finishes Disappointing Fourth in Belmont Stakes: Co-Owner Steve Coburn is Bitter.

Update: California Chrome at the Belmont: He'll Get to Wear Nasal Strip

California Chrome Flies to Baltimore -- Really -- for the Preakness