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Arrogate runs away to Travers victory
Winning by 13 1/2 lengths in a record-breaking minute and 59 seconds, you would have never thought the travers was the first stakes race in Arrogate’s career. “I don’t think that’s a big problem for him”. “It was just incredible”, he marveled. “Every year, there will be five of them you can’t outrun”. I’m just glad to be back here with another chance at it.
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Arrogate was sent off at 11-1 odds.
The son of Unbridled’s Song responded with brilliance, carving out blistering fractions under Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith as he completely crushed his competition and charged down the lane to win by a dominating 13 ½ lengths.
The previous Saratoga record for 1 1/4 miles was set by General Assembly in 1979.
Arrogate was unraced as a 2-year-old as the one-time quarter-horse trainer allowed him to work through minor issues.
“To me, LeRoy Jolley is an icon”.
“I wanted to ride [Arrogate], but there was nothing I could do because the owner wanted me to ride that other horse”, said Bejarano, adding that Arrogate “was much better than the other horses and he loved the distance”.
“I rode his father – he looks so much like his father”, Smith said.
The Grade I stakes carries a purse of $1.25 million, and is the signature race of the Saratoga meet.
Steve Asmussen, trainer of the third placed Gun Runner, was full of praise for the victor. “I just came here to win a horse race”. So we were sitting here and it was just emotional.
Just a year ago, Baffert famously came up just short, finishing second in the race with Triple Crown victor American Pharoah, who was passed in the final strides by Keen Ice. “He’s the greatest horse I’ve ever seen”.
The five-year-old mare booked her ticket for the Breeders” Cup Fillies and Mare Sprint (Dirt) as the race is part of the “win and you’re in’ scheme, and gave Morley his first Grade 1 victor. He is such a great horse. The horse got beat. So, down the backside, when I heard:46, I thought, wow, he is either a super horse or he is going to cave and it will be ugly turning for home. We still miss him.
He also wasn’t ready to elevate Arrogate, now a victor of four of his five starts, into American Pharoah’s class.
“Maybe this horse will take some of the sting of not having him around”. “We headed for home and he picked it up when I asked him. But there will never be another Pharoah”.
Baffert said he had no immediate plans for Arrogate. Baffert has at least four other Classic prospects: Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), Cupid (Tapit), Dortmund (Big Brown) and Travers runner-up American Freedom (Pulpit).
“I’m not going to scratch my head, I’m going to accept it as racing and I’ll figure out what happened in the ensuing days”, said Keith Desormeaux, trainer of Exaggerator. “I’ve trained all of these horses and I know where I stand with all of them”. What we saw yesterday, gives us a little hope. I think the fans will remember watching a horse like this, because I know, when I see performances like this, they’re very rare.
Drefong (Bob Baffert/Mike Smith) announced himself as a star when blitzing the field. He now qualifies automatically for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Dirt).
All we know is Arrogate will leave Saratoga on Monday to go back to California to rest for now.
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There was shock but no drama because Arrogate never looked like he would give up the lead. As long as you keep them happy, they’re fine. “He wasn’t going to win, but it probably cost him second”.