Arrogate Works Mile in Preparation for Next Start

Arrogate drills a mile in 1:38-2/5 in preparation for his next start (photo by Jim Safford).

Juddmonte Farms’ Arrogate worked a mile in 1:38-2/5 over Santa Anita’s fast main track Monday morning in preparation for a start in either the March 11 Santa Anita Handicap (GI) or the March 25 Dubai World Cup (GI) at Meydan Racecourse. Trainer Bob Baffert’s go-to work rider, Martin Garcia, was aboard for the move, which was the only one recorded for the distance on the day.

“I love the way he went,” Baffert said after the move. “I had him in :12.21, :24.30, :36.32, :48.29, :59.96, 1:12, 1:24.40 and 1:38 and two [fifths of a second]. He gets stronger the further he goes. So far, he’s handled everything well.”

A decision on which race the 4-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song will make will likely come within the next week, Baffert said.

“The decision will be made by the Prince [Khalid bin Abdullah, owner of Juddmonte Farms],” Baffert said after watching the work with Arrogate’s regular rider Mike Smith. “All we do is give him the options. Hopefully, we’ll hear something this week. He went very well, it looks like he hasn’t regressed at all [after his win in the inaugural Grade I, $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Jan. 28].”

Editor’s Note: According to Millie Ball of XBTV, Baffert has confirmed that Arrogate will be shipped to Dubai to contest the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 25.

Arrogate, who was a $560,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2014, has won six of seven career starts with a third for earnings of $11,084,600, which includes wins in the Travers Stakes (GI), Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) and Pegasus World Cup last out. He is out of the Distorted Humor mare Bubbler and was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms.

Mastery drills six furlongs in 1:15 (photo by Jim Safford).

Other notables on the Santa Anita worktab Monday were Los Alamitos Futurity winner Mastery (six furlongs in 1:15) and Sham Stakes (GIII) winner Gormley (six furlongs in a bullet 1:11), both possible for in the March 11 San Felipe Stakes (GII); Grade I winner and likely Big ‘Cap runner Midnight Storm (six furlongs in 1:13 4/5); Grade I winner Noted and Quoted (five furlongs 1:01.60), who may race in Saturday’s Santa Ysabel Stakes (GIII); and the maiden Ziconic, the fan-favored second foal out of 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, who hasn’t raced since an off-the-board finish in maiden special weight company last June.

Margaret Ransom

California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal.

After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.

She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.

In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law known as the “Borell Law.”

Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time. She lives in Pasadena with her longtime beau, Tony, two Australian Shepherds and one Golden Retriever.