Arrogate surges past Chrome to win Classic
ARROGATE stormed past California Chrome in the closing yards on Saturday to win the $6 million Classic and stamp himself US flat racing’s new superstar.
The late-blooming grey 3-year-old was running against older horses for the first time in the marquee event of the 13-race, $28 million Breeders’ Cup program.
He gave trainer Bob Baffert a third straight victory in the Classic and a 14th Breeders’ Cup win. Mike Smith nabbed his 25th Breeders’ Cup win – stretching his lead among all jockeys.
But it took everything Arrogate had to get past the experienced California Chrome, who won hearts with Kentucky Derby and Preakness victories in 2014 before he fell short of a Triple Crown with a fourth place in the Belmont Stakes.
The flashy chestnut has been resur- gent in his 5-year-old season, winning all six of his starts prior to the Classic.
With Victor Espinoza riding the irons, he was in prime position at the top of the stretch and appeared to have repulsed Arrogate’s charge until the final strides.
“Down the backside it looked like California Chrome was getting everything going. I thought maybe [Arrogate’s] not running,” Baffert said. “Turning for home, I thought well: ‘I’m getting to run second – but the eighth pole, all of a sudden he started getting into that gear.”
With California Chrome’s racing career now winding down, Arrogate showed his stunning 13 and a quarterlength victory in the Travers in August was no fluke.
California Chrome took second, a whopping 10 and three quarter lengths ahead of third-placed Keen Ice.