Arrogate upset of California Chrome justifies Bob Baffert’s vote of confidence

Jockey Mike Smith riding Arrogate celebrates after winning the Breeders' Cup. Sean M. Haffey / AFP

It was last October that Bob Baffert called up Juddmonte racing manager Garrett O’Rourke and told him that he had found a rough, grey diamond. Arrogate was a tall, lanky juvenile who had suffered shin problems so the two men decided to leave off the son of Unbridled’s Song and let him blossom under the silver-haired trainer’s care.

In March, California Chrome returned triumphant to Dubai by winning the World Cup at Meydan, whereas a few weeks later Arrogate was beaten on his racecourse debut in to third.

The two horses could not have been on more different career trajectories when they clashed in the 33rd Breeders’ cup Classic at Santa Anita in California on Saturday, but with Arrogate reeling in the world’s best dirt horse in the final 100 metres it is clear that the rough diamond is now sparkling.

• More: 'The real McCoy' Arrogate defeats of California Chrome

Arrogate’s shimmering brilliance in winning the $US6million (Dh220.4 million)contest is seen best through the prism that, according to the influential Beyer Speed figures, California Chrome ran the best race of his five-year-old life at 119. California Chrome is the complete package and the all-time leading prize-money earner in North America, and yet Arrogate, having only his sixth race, sailed past him to become the most inexperienced winner since the Breeders’ Cup concept was inaugurated in 1984. His Bayer rating was 120.

Coming in to the race Baffert had suggested that Arrogate’s monstrous Travers Stakes victory in August by 13 and a half lengths was the first time the colt had been given the opportunity to show his true colours. Baffert did not know what to expect, and judging by his comments after the race, the sky really could be the limit.

“We knew we had a great horse,” Baffert said. “We thought we could be competitive. But down deep I really wasn’t sure if we could beat California Chrome because I still have total respect for the horse. He’s a great horse

“I remember calling Garrett around October. I said, Garrett, I think I’ve found one that’s going to pay for all of them.”

Juddmonte, the racing arm of Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, had not had much to do with the Californian racing scene since the legendary Bobby Frankel died in 2009. In the past few years, however, the operation has identified Baffert as his logical heir and sent him five or six horses each year. Abdullah was involved with choosing Arrogate at the Keeneland Sale in September 2014 and paid $US560,000 for him. Arrogate’s earnings already stand at $4,084,600 and he could well eclipse California Chrome’s record of $US14,452,650 in the next few months if connections wanted to hunt down his landmark earnings.

The pair could well clash in the new Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on January 28 and then Arrogate clearly has the option of kicking on to Dubai, where Baffert has previously won the World Cup twice with Silver Charm and Captain Steve.

Juddmonte do not yet have a berth in the Pegasus concept, a $US12million race that gives $US7million to the winner and which is staged over 1800 metres. An idiosyncrasy of the entry criteria is that owners who have already paid the $US1million entry fee like California Chrome’s connections can lease, contract, or sell their place in the starting gate. Judged on Saturday’s result, California Chrome’s connections might well consider getting out before the race.

For now, however, Juddmonte can bask in a fine achievement and, according to Dr John Chandler, their President, it may even eclipse the exploits of the great Frankel in England.

“We’ve won great races, the Arc de Triomphe and the English Derby and the Belmont, and we’ve won races everywhere,” he said. “And we had Frankel, of course, who won everything in sight. But this has got to be one of the greatest things we’ve done.”

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