Arrogate Smooth in Six Furlong Work

The tone on the other end of Garrett O'Rourke's phone the morning of Oct. 25 told him all he needed to know about the status of Juddmonte Farms' Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) contender Arrogate.

"I've already spoken to (trainer) Bob (Baffert) and he was tickled pink," the manager of Prince Khalid Abdullah's operation said. "He joked about throwing the keys to the Ferrari to (jockey) Mike Smith and saying 'It's all yours now'. It's nice to hear that everything is...very, very smooth."

The smooth strides of Arrogate indeed were in full effect during a busy morning at Santa Anita Park as the Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner turned in a handy six-furlong move in 1:11 1/5 in company with stablemate Mor Spirit.

Similar to his workout one week earlier, Arrogate broke off well back of his graded stakes-winning stablemate and pulled up to Mor Spirit's hip approaching the turn. Under hand urging from jockey Rafael Bejarano, the son of Unbridled's Song finished about a head in front of Mor Spirit and proceeded to gallop out well in front with energy to spare.

"The hope is that the horse is just a good horse who hopefully is getting better, stronger, and smoother," O'Rourke said of Arrogate. "He'll need to be to take on (champion) California Chrome  . All you want to hear is that the trainer is happy because he's the one living and breathing with him all the time. And when he got him back to serious work (after the Travers) all of the energy was there."

In the span of 1:59.36, Arrogate went from impressive allowance winner to the horse regarded by many as the best hope to stop the California Chrome train from steamrolling to victory in the Nov. 5 Classic. In what was his first try against stakes company and fifth career start, Arrogate put on a gate-to-wire masterclass, winning the Travers by 13 1/2 lengths in track-record fashion.

"It wasn't a pre-set plan, per say," O'Rourke said of Arrogate's front-running Travers triumph. "When the draw came out Bob was forced more into saying 'We better get this horse in the clear' but I'm sure he wasn't sure that he was able to get there (on the lead) because the horse had never been asked before. He had come from behind in other races, and I still think the horse seems to be perfectly capable to sit off and come from behind.

"It won't inconvenience us if there is a crazy pace in front. We've shown we're not one dimensional."

Juddmonte purchase Arrogate out of Clearksy Farms consignment for $560,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September yearling sale. He has won four of five career starts and has earned $784,600.

Other notable Breeders' Cup contenders from the Baffert barn that worked Oct. 25 included multiple grade I winner Dortmund, who went five furongs in a bullet :58 4/5 in preparation for the Nov. 4 Las Vegas Dirt Mile (gr. I), Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) winner Klimt going six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 as he readies for the Sentient Jet Juvenile (gr. I) and 14 Hands Winery Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) contender Noted and Quoted working five furlongs in :59 flat.