Arrogate Works Strong Six Furlongs in Pegasus World Cup Preparation

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2017)—With Bob Baffert in contact throughout via two-way radio, Martin Garcia guided reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic Champion Arrogate through a powerful six furlong work of 1:12.29 late Sunday morning at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old grey colt by Unbridled’s Song will have one more local work before he’s scheduled to depart for Florida in what shapes up as an epic rematch with 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome on Saturday, Jan. 28 in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational, to be run at 1 1/8 miles, at Gulfstream Park.

With jockey Martin Garcia up, Arrogate followed stablemate Uninvited onto Santa Anita’s main track via the quarter mile chute at 11:45 a.m. The pair proceeded to gallop down the stretch and with Uninvited roughly 10 lengths in front of Arrogate, they each rounded the Club House turn and broke off from the three quarter pole.

From there, Arrogate settled into a steady rhythm under Garcia and overtook Uninvited a sixteenth of a mile from the wire, and with a national audience tuned in via Santa Anita’s simulcast network, displayed the long, effortless stride that enabled him to defeat California Chrome by a half length in the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic here on Nov. 5.

“It went well today, I could tell,” said Baffert, who watched the work from a private suite atop Santa Anita’s box seat area with his wife Jill, son, Bode and jockey Mike Smith. “With every work, he’s progressing. He’s getting closer. We’re starting to lean on him…Martin said he was picking it up late.

“It didn’t seem like he was going that fast but he was clicking right along. I couldn’t be happier with the way we’re coming into this. He’s right on schedule. We just need to keep him healthy. When you work on a muddy track (it was actually labeled “fast”), you’re always worried about their feet or something like that but…he travels really well over it. He really likes anything. Today, what I saw…I was really impressed…

“I want to put a little breeze into him next Sunday. Probably not as strong as this. I’m still watching the Weather Channel and all is see is rain, rain, rain, but I’m lucky enough that we’re getting these works in here.”

Santa Anita Timer Dane Nelson had Arrogate through complete splits of 23.86, 48.11, 1:00.40, 1:12.29, 1:24.82 and galloping out a flat mile in 1:37.97.

With rain in the local forecast on Thursday and Friday, Arrogate is tentatively scheduled to have his final Pegasus work here next Sunday and is scheduled to be flown to Florida early Tuesday, Jan. 24.

A record setting winner of the Grade I Travers Stakes in only his fifth career start on Aug. 27, Arrogate was then trained up to his Breeders’ Cup Classic win by Baffert, who is taking the same approach leading into the world’s richest race. Owned by Juddmonte Farms, he has five wins from six starts and has earnings of $4,084,600.

He’ be ridden at Gulfstream by Mike Smith, who has been aboard for his last two victories.

Source: Santa Anita Park