Arklow Seeks Another Major Upset for Donegal

As much as Arklow faces a formidable challenge in the $4 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), he hails from a stable well versed in overcoming even greater odds.

Remember Triple Crown champion American Pharaoh? 

Remember the 2015 Travers Stakes (G1)?

It was Donegal Racing's Keen Ice  who became a permanent part of Saratoga lore by beating American Pharoah. So it follows that Donegal president Jerry Crawford knows better than most owners that even if there are few Goliaths on hand, if you have the right horse, you can't shirk from being a David.

"What I learned from that Travers," Crawford said, "is to take a shot."

And so Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park, Arklow will be among a field of 12 that includes Horse of the Year favorite Bricks and Mortar, Investec Derby (G1) winner Anthony Van Dyck, and multiple grade/group 1 winner Old Persian. He's listed at 12-1 on the morning line, and the goal is similar to four years ago in the Midsummer Derby—to topple a giant or two.

"I have all the respect for Bricks and Mortar, and I have an equally high opinion for the Europeans, and then you can make a case for any of us. It's a tremendous opportunity, and we're looking forward to being there and taking our shot," Crawford said.

Owned by Donegal along with Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway, Arklow is one of the more intriguing contenders in the 1 1/2-mile Turf after turning in the best performance of his 23-race career for trainer Brad Cox.

The 5-year-old son of Arch came into the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) as a consistent sort who seemed content to fill out the bottom of the exacta or trifecta rather than pay off on win bets. In his six 2019 starts, Arklow's lone win came in the Joe Hirsch, but he was second in the Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (G3T), Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes (G2T), and Man o'War Stakes (G1T), losing the latter two by a neck.

Yet in the 1 1/2-mile stakes at Belmont Park, everything fell into place as Arklow prevailed in a tight, three-horse battle to the wire, winning by a half-length over fellow Turf starter Channel Maker.

"What you hope is that he's ready to take a step up to the next level. The speed figures he put up in the Joe Hirsch were very strong," Crawford said. "He shows up all the time, and there's nothing better than that in horse racing. You don't have to worry about him turning in a clunker unless there's some crazy event."

Based on what Crawford saw after the Joe Hirsch, he's hopeful that after a 13-month gap between wins, Arklow will prove to be yet another horse who becomes addicted to winning after settling for the minor spoils for a prolonged period of time.

"I told my wife, Linda, after the Joe Hirsch it seemed like Arklow knew he won. I always go out and meet the horses on the racetrack because you can learn a lot there, and his air was different," Crawford said. "He can be contentious while saddling or after the fact, and there was none of that after the race. He was calm and seemed very proud to me. Unfortunately, horses don't talk, so we can't ask him how he feels, but I'm hoping he liked the experience and we'll see yet another level out of him—he will be a contender."

Cox also likes what he has seen in the bay horse since his breakthrough effort in the Joe Hirsch.

"He's doing really well and has been working fantastic," said Cox, who is putting jockey Javier Castellano back on Arklow for the first time since March 2018. "I feel he's better this year than last year. He's a bigger, stronger horse who has gotten better with age as his pedigree would suggest."

The path that has taken Arklow to the Turf actually started on dirt as a Triple Crown hopeful, which is not surprising. Donegal's business model is to offer all the horses it buys in a year in packages called "Derby Dreams." Bred in Kentucky by John Penn and Frank Penn out of the Empire Maker  mare Unbridled Empire, Arklow was bought by Crawford for $160,000 from the Penn Sales consignment at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

"We only have one offering a year, so you get every horse and don't miss out on the big one. Our people are in it to run and try to win the big races. We're good for the sport," said Crawford, whose investors in Arklow's package include Nick Nurse, coach of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors.

"We use a mathematical approach and algorithms along with bloodlines at the sales, and we loved his physical look," he said. "We were able to buy him in the first book for $160,000, which is unusual, but that's our M.O. Most of our grade 1 winners have been at that price range. We've been skilled at finding inexpensive horses with high-quality results."

Arklow's first three starts—all on dirt—resulted in a second and a third. He finished fourth in his 3-year-old debut as a maiden in the Lecomte Stakes (G3). But after Arklow finished eighth—14 1/2 lengths behind the winner, Girvin —in the Risen Star Stakes (G2), Cox shifted him to turf and was rewarded with an easy maiden win followed by a score in the 2017 American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T).

Two years later, and after a fourth-place finish in last year's Turf, Arklow has six wins and five seconds in 18 turf starts, with earnings of more than $1.7 million.

"I can't say enough about Brad," Crawford said. "He gave the horse a real shot on the Derby trail and was honest, as he always is, when he said he needed to move (Arklow) to the grass. He does not blow smoke and tell you all of your horses are good. He's very candid, and he's liked Arklow from the beginning."

He'll surely like him even more Saturday if Arklow can duplicate the feat of a former stablemate and outshine some stars on one of the sport's biggest stages.