Arrogate powers to Pegasus World Cup Invitational success at Gulfstream Park

Ridden by Mike Smith, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner produced another stunning performance to win the world’s richest horse race by nearly five lengths from Shaman Ghost.

Those who were expecting the encounter to largely be a two-horse race were left disappointed as the expected challenge from America’s most popular horse, California Chrome – who was racing for the last time – did not materialise as he finished a disappointing ninth.

Instead Arrogate made it every bit a one-horse race with the result never in any serious doubt from the moment Smith moved him out sharply from the potentially troublesome inside berth.

Carrying the colours of Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte operation, Arrogate sat third on the rail a couple of lengths behind front-running Noble Bird before Smith moved him three wide on the far turn as the colt stretched his legs. At the same time, California Chrome – never happy after being hung out five wide from an unfavourable draw in gate 12 – came under a ride and had absolutely nothing to offer.

Arrogate strode clear to such an extent that Smith was able to take it easy inside the final furlong, but still able to win by four and three-quarter lengths from Shaman Ghost, with Neolithic taking third another three and a half lengths back.
Speaking afterwards, jockey Smith said “It was another incredible performance and I was able to use the first turn to our advantage by staying on the rail and then it was a matter of getting the trip.

“I looked halfway down the backside and I saw Victor [Espinoza] having a nudge on Chrome and I thought ‘maybe he ain’t there today’.

“He had me right where he wanted me but Chrome just did not fire today believe me, that’s not his race at all. The California Chrome I know would have been on top of me so I was blessed to be able to take out and once I got out, I was loaded. He was gone.”

Baffert admitted he had some pre-race nerves after Arrogate’s interrupted preparation thanks to recent persistent rain in southern California.

“I knew with the one-hole he had to break cleanly, he couldn’t be shuffled back with a lot of horses in front of him.
“He broke well, as well as he could and he just ran his race. His stride is just incredible and he came back and he’s really not that tired.”

Arrogate’s defence of his Breeders’ Cup crown is Baffert’s priority this season, and the trainer also mentioned coming back to the Pegasus again in 12 months’ time, although a trip to Dubai seems an unlikely prospect.

In his last race of a glorious career before going off to stud, California Chrome was understandably the sentimental choice of the Florida crowd, however there was to be no fairytale ending. The newly crowned US Horse of the Year could beat only three other horses home and was virtually pulled up nearly 30 lengths behind his arch rival. It later emerged that he had come out of the race with some fluid on a knee.

“He didn’t break as sharp as he usually does and then he got hung wide,” said trainer Art Sherman.

“It looks like he scrambled away from there and couldn’t get his footing. It looked like he wasn’t getting a hold of the racetrack, like maybe his feet were getting out from under him.

“I don’t know why – he worked good over it. Down the backside he settled in and had no excuse but he didn’t have that oomph today that he usually kicks in at the three-eighths pole, he just looked listless.

“This is the first bad race he’s ever run for me but we had a great run”.

California Chrome’s jockey Victor Espinoza said he had “never really got into the race”, adding: “He faded by the half-mile pole. I was pretty much done by that point.

At the five-eighths pole I didn’t feel I had that power – he was empty. I hope he’s okay.”