BAFFERT’S ARROGATE DRILLS SIX FURLONGS IN 1:11.94

By Mike Willman —-

BAFFERT’S ARROGATE DRILLS SIX FURLONGS BEFORE SANTA ANITA’S FIRST RACE IN 1:11.94 AS HE CONTINUES TO PREP FOR REMATCH WITH CALIFORNIA CHROME IN GULFSTREAM’S $12 MILLION PEGASUS WORLD CUP JAN. 28
WITH GARCIA UP, HE WORKS OVER A ‘GOOD’ MAIN TRACK IN COMPANY WITH STABLEMATE UNINVITED

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2016)—In preparation for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park Jan. 28, Breeders’ Cup Classic Champion Arrogate drilled six furlongs late this morning over Santa Anita’s main track, which was listed as “good” in 1:11.94.

With jockey Martin Garcia up, Arrogate came on the track via the quarter mile chute at 11:45 a.m. PST Sunday and went straight off to the Club House turn as he followed stablemate Uninvited.

With Bob Baffert overseeing the drill from a private suite atop Santa Anita’s box seat area, Arrogate broke off behind his stablemate at the three quarter pole and he easily overtook him going into the far turn, breezing solo through the lane and although the work was officially scheduled to be six furlongs, he continued to work through the wire into the Club House turn.

Santa Anita Track Timer Dane Nelson clocked Arrogate through splits of 24.51, 47.96 and 59.89 en route to his six furlong time of 1:11.94. Although the work is now posted at six furlongs in distance, Garcia stayed down on the 4-year-old Unbridled’s Song colt around the turn, stopping the watch for seven furlongs at 1:24.56. Nelson had him galloping out a mile in 1:37 flat.

“I was happy with the work,” said Baffert, who hadn’t had his stable superstar out for a recorded breeze since Dec. 27. “I still have to see how he comes out of it. It was nice to get the work in. It wasn’t the ideal situation but we knew he likes the mud, an off track. Great horses always like the mud.

“I was happy with the way he finished. The other horse, we could have had him a little more in front (at the start of the drill). We got the work in and that was very important. I’d rather work on a nice, dry track. Every time you work on an off track, you’re taking that chance, but I got a nice, stiff work into him so that was very important…

“I got him in 1:11 and change, 1:24, out in 1:37 and change. I was on the radio and I could tell…Once he lost his company he’ll just pin his ears. When he has that company, he likes to chase something. He has that tremendous stride. His stride is his biggest weapon.”

As for when Arrogate might ship to Gulfstream, or when he’ll breeze again in preparation for the Pegasus, Baffert said, “I’ll just watch the Weather Channel from here on out, basically. It’s just like training in Kentucky, just watch the Weather Channel. There are no set plans for anything—shipping or training.”

A record-setting winner of the Grade I Travers Stakes in his first added money assignment on Aug. 27, Arrogate trained up to his half length win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic here Nov. 5 and has been idle since. Owned by Juddmonte Farms, he has five wins from six starts and has earnings of $4,084,600. He’ll be ridden in the Pegasus by Mike Smith, who’s been aboard for his last two wins.

Cover Photo: ARROGATE; Benoit

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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.