Arrogate outshined California Chrome on the biggest stage of his career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita and the sky is the limit. Granted, Arrogate outshined California Chrome by getting the ideal three-hole trip but to beat a horse that was perfect in 2016 is never a simple chore.
Timing in horseracing, like in life, is everything and jockey Mike Smith timed Arrogate’s charge to perfection. Smith is the all-time winningest Breeders’ Cup rider and he showed why in this year’s Classic.
Considering Arrogate outshined California Chrome by trying his elders for the first time and his victory is all that more impressive. His stamina was on display for all to see and it appeared he could have gone around again without tiring. The Bob Baffert charge was just prancing after the race.
As far as California Chrome is concerned, he had it his own way. He set legit splits of :23.28, :47.15 and 1:10.96 and was doing it within himself. After a mile in 1:35.72, Chrome still had an advantage. But Arrogate wore him down with a final time of 2:00.11. Chrome was nearly 11 lengths clear of show horse, 32-1 shot Keen Ice, and Baffert’s other runner, Hopportunity, ran fourth.
Sometimes success comes with jealousy and inquiries and in Baffert’s case, that has been the deal. He has shown as he has matured that he can shed off criticism and do the right thing for a horse. He used the same strategy with Arrogate that he did with American Pharoah last year. Both horses were coming off the Travers Stakes and were trained up to the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
To have a horse set to go a mile and a quarter off a 10-week layoff is never simple but it didn’t bother Baffert, who used this ploy in his early days as a quarter horse trainer. To his credit, Baffert had nothing but nice things to say about California Chrome’s trainer Art Sherman. Baffert expressed his respect for the way that Sherman kept his horse at the top of his game for so long.
With that in the books, three of California Chrome’s last four losses came at the hands of Baffert trainees.
Bob Baffert is now the only trainer on the planet that has won the Breeders’ Cup Classic back-to-back-to-back with different horses. His student Bayern won the traffic jam in the 2014 Classic and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah succeeded in 2015. Arrogate just adds to the Baffert legend.
What’s next for the big horse Arrogate and for Hopportunity? Expect Hopportunity to be pointed for some events back East where the tracks are softer and deeper.
After Arrogate outshined California Chrome it gave his connections options and they could go in a number of directions. His owners intend to race him next year and that is a good thing for all horseracing fans. Sherman and the owners of California Chrome already are pointing to the $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on January 28 at Gulfstream. Like a fallen heavyweight boxer, Sherman is already calling for a re-match in the Pegasus Cup.
Arrogate’s owner Juddmonte Farm does not own a spot in the Pegasus Cup but they could buy into the field if an owner was willing to sell a spot.
In this day and age, when runners are coddled and are not asked to do much the fact both of these runners are looking for the future bodes well for this great sport.
Arrogate is now 5 for 6 in his career and the only loss was in his troubled debut. His versatility could be his best asset as he has shown that he can take them wire-to-wire or come from slightly off the pace. He has already repaid his $560,000 purchase price and now has earned over $4 million.
There are no limitations for Arrogate’s distance concerns. His sire Unbridled’s Song could run all day. His dam won multiple stakes and earned over $200,000 and if you go deep in Arrogate’s pedigree, Grade 1 winner and over $450,000 earner Meadow Star materializes.
For the record, Arrogate followed up his Travers Beyer Speed Figure of 122 with a sensational 120 in the Classic, matching American Pharoah’s Classic Beyer. In 2014, Bayern recorded a 113 Beyer. Bayern ran the fastest Classic in many a year. He was clocked in 1:59.88. Pharoah was timed in 2:00.07. The fastest Classic in history was run by Ghostzapper, who got to the wire in 1:59.02 back in 2004, earning him Horse of the Year.
