CLASSIC CHAMP ARROGATE TO RUN IN SUNDAY’S GRADE II SAN PASQUAL STAKES

By Mike Willman —-

ARROGATE (schooling this afternoon)
(Photos provided by Zoe Metz Photography)

BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC CHAMP ARROGATE ENTERED TO RUN IN SUNDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SAN PASQUAL STAKES AT 1 1/16 MILES
BAFFERT SUPERSTAR TO PREP FOR REMATCH WITH CALIFORNIA CHROME JAN. 28 AT GULFSTREAM PARK

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 29, 2016)—Fingers crossed, there will be plenty of fireworks on New Year’s Day at Santa Anita, as Breeders’ Cup Classic Champion Arrogate was entered this morning to run in Sunday’s Grade II, $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, which will serve as a tune-up for an epic rematch at a mile and one eighth with California Chrome in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

The San Pasqual, for 4-year-olds and up, will be run for the 80th time on Sunday and has traditionally served as a steppingstone to the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap in March. This year’s San Pasqual has attracted a field of five, and trainer John Sadler’s Accelerate, trainer Phil D’Amato’s Midnight Storm and trainer Cliff Sise’s Prospect Park would all appear to be contenders for the trifecta.

Third, beaten 4 ¼ lengths in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here Nov. 4, Hronis Racing’s Accelerate will hope to make his presence felt late, while Midnight Storm, who comes off a 1 ¾ length win on turf in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap going 1 1/16 miles Nov. 27 at Del Mar, will hope to transfer his form to the main track in the San Pasqual.

Pam and Martin Wygod’s 5-year-old Prospect Park, a graded stakes winner on turf and a multiple graded stakes placed runner on dirt, has been idle since running a solid second in a seven furlong main track allowance on Dec. 1 at Del Mar and can be expected to be on or near the early lead as he adds blinkers on Sunday under Norberto Arroyo, Jr.

ARROGATE: Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Juddmonte Farms, this soon to be 4-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song rendered the racing world spellbound with a record shattering win in Saratoga’s iconic Grade I Travers Stakes on Aug. 27, as he won gate to wire by 13 ½ lengths while covering a mile and a quarter in 1:59.36—his final quarter mile accomplished in 23.84! Baffert then trained Arrogate up to the BC Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 and he responded with a devastating stretch run under Mike Smith, reeling in California Chrome late en route to a convincing half length win. A true physical specimen, Arrogate, following a third place maiden finish in his debut at Los Alamitos April 17, has rattled off five consecutive victories, with three of them coming at The Great Race Place. With Smith set to man the controls for the third consecutive time, Arrogate enters the San Pasqual with five wins from six starts and earnings of $4,084,600.

THE GRADE II SAN PASQUAL STAKES WITH JOCKEYS AND WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PDT

1. Prospect Park—Norberto Arroyo, Jr.–120
2. Accelerate—Tyler Baze—125
3. Dalmore—Kent Desormeaux—122
4. Midnight Storm—Rafael Bejarano—125
5. Arrogate—Mike Smith–125

First post time on New Year’s Day at Santa Anita is at 12:30 p.m. Admission gates will open at 10:30 a.m. For scratches, changes and complete morning line information, please visit santaanita.com.

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.