Arrogate is back!

General racing discussion.

Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster

User avatar
skeenan
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1509
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:40 am
Location: NH
Contact:

Arrogate is back!

Postby skeenan » Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:23 pm

Looking good and full of himself! :D

User avatar
Joltman
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1743
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2006 5:33 pm

Re: Arrogate is back!

Postby Joltman » Sun Apr 02, 2017 1:00 pm

We'll see if he bounces off the Dubai trip as so many have - but he'll get lots of time off, with that barn having been there, done that. He's at his very best now, can maybe keep it going through the BC - after that, downhill.

jm
Run the race - the one that's really worth winning.

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: Arrogate is back!

Postby TJ » Mon Apr 03, 2017 2:00 pm

Here's a short video of Arrogate. He was full of himself, even with a short hold and lip shank coming off the van. Baffert instructed his assistant to put his ear plugs on and he settled right down. TJ
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow ... story.html

Aug27
Allowance Winner
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:29 am

Re: Arrogate is back!

Postby Aug27 » Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:35 am

TJ, how do you think Arrogate would have performed in a theoretical full-field race at ten furlongs against Spectacular Bid? He was something special, too, imo ...

Cree
Eclipse Champion
Posts: 2307
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:34 pm

Re: Arrogate is back!

Postby Cree » Fri Apr 07, 2017 7:10 am

He is quite a grand-looking horse. I love his size and scope.
He looks good and feels good, that's exactly what you want to see after a big trip like that. Is he spending his vacation at Baffert's barn? I thought he was going for some R & R.

User avatar
TJ
Darley line
Posts: 6236
Joined: Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am
Location: FL, NY

Re: Arrogate is back!

Postby TJ » Sun Apr 09, 2017 9:56 am

Aug27 wrote:TJ, how do you think Arrogate would have performed in a theoretical full-field race at ten furlongs against Spectacular Bid? He was something special, too, imo ...

Hi Aug,
It is honestly a tough comparison to make through so many years of racing. I try to keep an open mind when comparing horses racing currently, as I do enjoy placing a bet or two...so my allegiance to any single horse would be counterproductive (if I ever want to come up with a price here or there:>) That being said, I've been around horses since I was a child and have seen many champions through the years. I've watched as they went through their conditions...some developing quickly, others were not so precocious. The great ones I've witnessed close up and personal were basically early 60's onward. So we're talking Kelso, Buckpasser, Damascus, Dr. Fager, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid, John Henry, Cigar, American Pharoah and California Chrome to name a few (and I'm sure I left a lot out). All these horses were special in their own right and all accomplished great feats in their careers....but all in my eyes were not the match of Secretariat. That being said, we were unable to see how brilliant Arrogate could have been if he were sound enough to compete as a 3YO. I maintain had he been, he certainly would have won the Triple Crown and his position in racing history would have all ready been established. A Triple Crown winner holds an uncommon advantage over mere handicap horses that run for years beating all comers. Is it fair, maybe not...but those who missed the TC series usually are dismissed as great champions. That is the stigma attached to Arrogate when being compared to others who competed in the TC events through history. But (there's always an IF or a BUT:>)...in all my years of horse racing, I've never seen a horse go from a 3 horse Allowance (race) NW2 O/T field, into a 13 horse GR I Travers field and run away and hide from the best of his generation....going the classic mile and a quarter distance and breaking a long standing track record in doing so. To me that is extraordinary! The naysayer's still would deny Arrogate's accomplishment as a flash in the pan and wanted to see a repeat performance. Well they got it in spades, as they watched in disbelief when he ran down the top handicap horse of recent years in California Chrome. Their re-match was just as spectacular as Arrogate proved his dominance once again....it would have been more impressive had CC run well...but even if CC ran lights out in the Pegasus World Cup, Arrogate would never have lost that race. Don't forget how easily Arrogate beat this years "Big Cap" winner, Shaman Ghost in the Pegasus WC when CC didn't fire. Then Arrogate's most recent start in Dubai, taking on world wide competition, overcoming a terrible getaway and beating a solid handicap type horse in Gun Runner. That is something I have never seen before in my years of horse racing. In my opinion, a comparison between Arrogate and any 3YO who competed in the TC races would find Arrogate would be at a disadvantag...mainly because of the attachment most fans have to the TC as a barometer of being a super horse. Yet, maybe it's my stubborn nature or just my overall state of shock at what I've seen Arrogate accomplish and overcome in such a short period of time, that makes me feel this guy is invincible. Therefore, Arrogate is my favorite horse of all time for the above long winded reasons/BS:>) To try to compare him to any single racehorse would be unfair to either horse, as well as fruitless as most of my opinions are:>)...but it is after all just my opinion be it right, wrong or indifferent during my racing lifetime to date:>) TJ