Edited Press Release
With Bob Baffert in contact throughout via two-way radio, Martin Garcia guided reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero Arrogate through a powerful six-furlong work of 1:12.29 late Sunday morning at Santa Anita Park.
Arrogate followed stablemate Uninvited onto Santa Anita’s main track via the quarter-mile chute at 11:45 a.m. (PT). The pair proceeded to gallop down the stretch with Uninvited roughly 10 lengths in front of Arrogate, each rounding the Club House turn and breaking 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.
“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 and 1:24.82. He galloped out a mile in 1:37.97.
The Unbridled’s Song four-year-old likely 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, January 28, in the inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), to be run at 1 1/8 miles, at Gulfstream Park.
With rain in the local forecast on Thursday and Friday, Arrogate is tentatively scheduled to have his final Pegasus work next Sunday before flying to Florida early Tuesday, January 24.
A record-setting winner of the Travers Stakes (G1) in only his fifth career start on August 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 earnings of $4,084,600.
He’ll be ridden at Gulfstream by Mike Smith, who has been aboard for his last two victories.
How many Unbridled Song offspring have had long racing careers ? Don’t most retire injured ?
I’d stop short of saying “most retire injured”. They have shorter careers in part because they’re worth so much as bloodstock prospects.
Liam’s Map (by Unbridled’s Song) was still going strong at the end of his 4yo season (retired sound after winning 2015 BC Dirt Mile) & Arrogate hasn’t missed a beat since making his career debut in April of his 3yo season. And both missed the Triple Crown.
As others have pointed out, many Unbridled’s Song turn out to be precocious and are pushed along early in hopes of winning lucrative 2yo stakes/participating in Triple Crown, but that can lead to negative consequences (breakdowns) as they’re still growing & don’t get the time to acclimate.
Arrogate’s patient handling early in his career could reap major benefits in 2017