Breeders’ Cup Classic: “Arrogreat!” The Finale
Arrogate Wins The ’16 Travers
Before the gates open and the bugler blows the call to post for the first Breeders’ Cup race of 2017, horse racing fans around the world await in wonderment of which Arrogate will show up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 4th at Del Mar.
Until the 2016 Travers, Arrogate had been a lightly raced and relatively unknown colt by Unbridled’s Song out of the Distorted Humor mare Bubbler, who had won three straight in allowance company earlier in the year on the West Coast.
Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert for Juddmonte Farms, Arrogate was sent to New York to make his first appearance in a graded stakes, the $1.25 million (G1) Travers at Saratoga in August of 2016.
Facing the Derby runner-up and Preakness winner Exaggerator, and the Belmont winner Creator and second place runner Destin, made it all the more plausible that Arrogate, at 11 to 1, wouldn’t be able to beat more seasoned runners at the longer distance of 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga.
But in true Baffert fashion another star arrived on the scene that day and cruised to an easy win in the Travers, leaving an indelible impression in the minds of horse racing fans, on his way to winning his next three races in a row, and three of the world’s richest horse races.
Arrogate wins 4 (G1) races in a row for earnings of $17.3 million
The 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic will be Arrogate’s final race.
As the day approaches, put aside the fact he was a well beaten fourth in a lethargic effort in the San Diego Handicap. In a five horse field at $0.10 on the dollar he beat just one horse home that day. But it was his first race back after winning the Dubai World Cup four months earlier. And seasoned handicappers called it a toss.
He returned less than a month later at 3 to 5 in the Pacific Classic. And all eyes were on Arrogate and jockey Mike Smith as the two raced in contention down the backside waiting to pounce on front-running stablemate Collected when the time was right.
He finished second that day.
It was an improvement.
Which Arrogate will we see in the Classic?
Will it be the Arrogate that stamped his name in the sand at the Spa when he won the (G1) Travers at Saratoga in track-record time?
Will it be the Arrogate who won the ’16 running of the $6 million (G1) Breeders’ Cup Classic beating the older Kentucky Derby winner of 2014, California Chrome?
Will it be the Arrogate who went East to win the first running of the $12 million (G1) Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream in commanding fashion?
Will it be the same Arrogate who traveled the globe to win the (G1) Dubai World Cup a half a world away from home?
We’ll find out on November 4 at Del Mar.
Stay tuned.
