Arrogate
| Arrogate | |
|---|---|
 Arrogate with Mike Smith prior to the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic | |
| Sire | Unbridled's Song |
| Grandsire | Unbridled |
| Dam | Bubbler |
| Damsire | Distorted Humor |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | February 6, 2013[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Gray |
| Breeder | Clearsky Farms |
| Owner | Juddmonte Farms |
| Trainer | Bob Baffert |
| Record | 6: 5-0-1 |
| Earnings | $4,084,600 [2] |
| Major wins | |
|
Travers Stakes (2016) Breeders' Cup Classic (2016) | |
Arrogate (foaled February 6, 2013) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic. He also won the Travers Stakes in a track record in his first stakes appearance.
Background
Arrogate is a gray colt bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms. As a yearling the colt was consigned to Keeneland September sale and was bought for $560,000 by Juddmonte Farms,[3] the racing operation of Khalid bin Abdullah. Arrogate was sent into training with Bob Baffert in California. Arrogate's front teeth were knocked back as a yearling, probably after being kicked by another horse. One tooth became infected and was removed, which slows down his eating but otherwise has no impact.[4]
Arrogate was sired by the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Unbridled's Song, whose other major winners have included Will Take Charge, the sprinter Zensational and the Breeders' Cup winners Unrivaled Belle and Unbridled Elaine.[5] Arrogate's dam Bubbler was a successful racemare who won six of her nine races.[6][7]
Racing career
2016: three-year-old season
Arrogate made his track debut in a six furlong maiden race at Los Alamitos Race Course on April 17, 2016. Ridden by Martin Garcia, he started the odds-on favorite but finished third behind Westbrook and Accelerate. On June 5, he was moved up in distance and recorded his first victory in a maiden over eight and a half furlongs at Santa Anita Park, leading from the start and winning by two and a half lengths from Giant Expectations. He was partnered in this race by Rafael Bejarano, who rode him in his next two races. Nineteen days later, at the same track, Arrogate contested an allowance race against older horses and won again, beating Fusaichi Samurai by five and a quarter lengths after leading from start. On August 4, the colt appeared in an allowance race at Del Mar and started odd-on favorite against two older opponents. After racing in third place in the early running, he took the lead in the straight and won by one and three quarter lengths from Krito.[8]
On August 27, Arrogate was moved up sharply in class to contest the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in which his rivals included Exaggerator and Creator, winners respectively of the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Bejarano elected to ride another of Baffert's horses, American Freedom, so veteran jockey Mike Smith picked up the ride. Having drawn post position 1 in a large field, Arrogate was ridden hard from the starting gate and set fast opening fractions. As they turned into the stretch, he broke clear of his rivals, eventually winning by thirteen and a half lengths from his stablemate American Freedom, with Creator in seventh and Exaggerator in eleventh.[9][10]
His final time of 1:59.36 for the 1 1/4-mile distance eclipsed General Assembly's Travers and track record of 2:00 that had stood for 37 years. Baffert said, "You're always hoping that they're that good. I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was really, really that kind of good."[11] The horse earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 122 for his effort and became a contender for the year end Eclipse award[12]
On November 5, Arrogate entered the Breeders' Cup Classic as the second favorite behind 5-year-old California Chrome. ‘Chrome led from the outset, while Arrogate tracked sitting third. The two horses engaged in the homestretch and in the final yards, Arrogate surged ahead to defeat California Chrome by a half a length at the finish. The two horses dominated the remainder of the field by over 10 lengths.[13] Art Sherman said of Arrogate, "That winner is the real McCoy, I knew he was the one we had to beat, but I didn't know how good he was."[14] Post race analysis gave California Chrome a Beyer Speed Figure of 119, the highest of his career, but Arrogate topped it with a 120.[15]
The race earned Arrogate the top position in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities on November 10 with a rating of 134, 1 point ahead of California Chrome.[16]
Pedigree
| Sire Unbridled's Song (USA) 1993 |
Unbridled (USA) 1987 |
Fappiano | Mr Prospector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killaloe | |||
| Gana Facil | Le Fabuleux | ||
| Charedi | |||
| Trolley Song (USA) 1983 |
Caro | Fortino | |
| Chambord | |||
| Lucky Spell | Lucky Mel | ||
| Incantation | |||
| Dam Bubbler (USA) 2006 |
Distorted Humor (USA) 1993 |
Forty Niner | Mr Prospector |
| File | |||
| Danzig'a Beauty | Danzig | ||
| Sweetest Chant | |||
| Grechelle (USA) 1995 |
Deputy Minister | Vice Regent | |
| Mint Copy | |||
| Meadow Star | Meadowlake | ||
| Inreality Star (Family: 16-g)[7] |
- Arrogate is inbred 4 × 4 to Mr Prospector, meaning that this stallion appear twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
References
- 1 2 "Arrogate pedigree". Equineline. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ↑ "Arrogate Profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ↑ "Keeneland 2014 September Yearling Sale". Racing Post.
- ↑ Privman, Jay. "Hard to bad-mouth Arrogate". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ↑ "Unbridled's Song Stud Record". Racing Post. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
- ↑ "Bubbler - Statistics". Equibase.
- 1 2 "Polly Agnes - Family 16-g". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
- ↑ "Allowance Optional Claiming result". Racing Post. 4 August 2016.
- ↑ Claire Novak (27 August 2016). "Arrogate Blazes to Travers Record". The Blood-Horse.
- ↑ Drape, Joe (27 August 2016). "Against Distinguished Travers Field, a 'Freak' Wins by a Chasm". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ↑ "Baffert Reflects on Arrogate's Travers Romp". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ↑ Privman, Jay (September 2, 2016). "Arrogate just getting started". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ↑ Staff (November 5, 2016). "Santa Anita, November 5, 2016 – Race 12" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
- ↑ Novak, Claire (November 5, 2016). "Arrogate Upsets 'Chrome' in BC Classic". Blood Horse. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
- ↑ Privman, Jay (November 6, 2016). "Arrogate rallies past California Chrome in epic Breeders' Cup Classic". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
- ↑ "Arrogate New World Rankings Leader". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.