Footwear company SKECHERS has signed on to sponsor California Chrome , who will shoot for the Triple Crown June 7 at Belmont Park.
The California-based company said June 3 the sponsorship includes SKECHERS branding on owner and trainer jackets, caps, and other apparel as well as horse blankets, gear, and barn signage. There also will be related promotional events, the company said.
California Chrome is owned by Steve Coburn and Perry Martin, trained by Art Sherman, and will be ridden again by Victor Espinoza in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (gr. I).
"SKECHERS is a California brand, so sponsoring this horse with his uniquely California story makes perfect sense to us," SKECHERS chairman and chief executive officer Robert Greenberg said in a release. "We're proud to associate SKECHERS with the best Triple Crown contender in several generations. As a true representative of his home state, California Chrome has already captured the hearts of America and inspired people around the world so we're excited for the opportunity to bring SKECHERS synergy to his amazing journey."
Current SKECHERS advertising campaigns include those for Meb Keflezighi, Joe Montana, and Mark Cuban, while Pete Rose and Joe Namath ads will launch in the fall of 2014. Previous SKECHERS ambassadors include Wayne Gretzky, Karl Malone, Evander Holyfield, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Fox, and Ronnie Lott.