Juddmonte's GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) and runner-up California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) both exited the race in good conditioner, according to their respective trainers.
“Who'd have thought I'd have another horse like American Pharoah,” Bob Baffert said of his third straight Classic winner Arrogate. “He's doing some of the same things that Pharoah did.”
The conditioner added, “[Arrogate] wasn't even blowing when he came back, it was like 'When are we going to do this again?'”
No definite future plans have been made just yet for the “TDN Rising Star,” but the connections indicated he is likely to stay in training in 2017 during the post-race press conference.
Baffert also saddled Classic fourth-place finisher and MGISW Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday), who will remain in training next year as a possible candidate for both the GI Pegasus World Cup and G1 Dubai World Cup.
“He ran a good race but he struggles over these California tracks,” Baffert commented. “He needs a deeper, softer track. John Velazquez said he was like a different horse from the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.”
The Hall of Fame trainer was represented by another 3-year-old Breeders' Cup winner Saturday in GI Sprint hero Drefong (Gio Ponti), who also captured the GI King's Bishop S. Aug. 27.
“He looked good,” Baffert told the TDN Sunday. “He was a little bit tired. It's too early to tell [what his next race will be], but [the GI Malibu S. Dec. 26] is a logical spot for him.”
Arrogate brought California Chrome's perfect 5-year-old season to an end Saturday, but the two-time Eclipse winner was doing well Sunday and is still likely for the Pegasus World Cup Jan. 28.
“He looked good, ate up after the race and everything was cold,” trainer Art Sherman reported.
Sherman said while he trusts rider Victor Espinoza implicitly, he would have rather seen the jockey cut California Chrome loose at the quarter-pole.
“It was so crazy on the track after the race that I never did get a chance to speak with Victor,” Sherman said. “I know he rides this horse with great confidence and we might have been caught anyway, but I think you've just got to go for it and open up as much as you can and make them try to catch you. You hope the finish line just comes up first. I know he had plenty of horse at the top of the stretch, so that tells you how good the winner was yesterday.”
The trainer added, “That's just part of racing, though. You can't cry over what happens. Maybe we'll get another chance [to test Arrogate] before Chrome retires. I hope we'd be able to run him at least one more time before then. We'll have to wait and see.”
Found Headed to the Ashford…
Coolmore's sensational filly Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) heads to Ashford to begin her new career as a broodmare following a gusty third behind stablemate Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Turf.
Victorious in the G1 Criterium des Pouliches during her 2014 juvenile season, the “TDN Rising Star” captured the G3 Royal Whip S. in 2015 and was second in the G1 Irish One Thousand Guineas, G1 Coronation S. and G1 QIPCO Champion S. She capped off her sophomore season with a defeat of the well-regarded Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {GB}) in last year's BC Turf.
Ultra-consistent once again during a jam-packed 4-year-old campaign this season, Found captured the G3 Mooresbridge S. followed by a series of runner-up efforts in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, G1 QEII Coronation Cup, G1 Prince of Wales's S., G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks and G1 QIPCO Irish Champion S.
The Aidan O'Brien trainee made her long awaited return to the winner's circl just last month when besting Highland Reel–and leading home an O'Brien/Galileo trifecta–in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Oct. 2. Returning just 13 days later to finish second in this year's QIPCO Champion S. Oct. 15 prior to her trip to Santa Anita, Found retires with a record of 21-6-11-3 and earnings of $7,610,405. Mating plans are still uncertain.
Casse Contingent Doing Well, Tepin to Run in 2017…
Trainer Mark Casse reported that his Breeders' Cup septet were all doing well Sunday morning, including champion Tepin (Bernstein), who made a wide late bid to finish just a half-length short of Tourist (Tiznow) when attempting a title defense in Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
“She ran a winning race and I'm not overly upset about it,” Casse said. “She was maybe just a little unlucky. The winner ran great, too, and we can hold our head high. All the doubters were wrong, so that is satisfying.”
The conditioner added, “She has a funny way of running. She's not the easiest to maneuver and is not easy to steer because she runs with her head cocked, but I think Julien [Leparoux] did a great job given the situation. I could not have asked for a better trip.”
Casse confirmed that the Robert Masterson runner will stay in training in 2017 and is being considered for a trip to Longines Hong Kong International Races in December.
“TDN Rising Star” Valadorna (Curlin) also made a valiant late run to finish a close second behind longshot Champagne Room (Broken Vow) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
“Even though [Valadorna] got hung up for a second and it maybe cost her the race, the reason she was able to run as well as she did was because Julien had given her such a good trip,” Casse remarked. “She looked good this morning. Obviously the [GI Kentucky] Oaks would be our hope. I think she would probably be our leading candidate for that right now.”
Champagne Room's trainer Peter Eurton was still on cloud nine following his first Breeders' Cup victory.
“Winning a Breeders' Cup race is something you dream about,” Eurton said. “Well, I mean it wasn't a surprise as I always thought she had ability, but I just think she was so immature. Now she just wants to run.”
The conditioner added, “We just have to look and see, give her a little freshening. This was her fifth race of the year. She's a big strong filly. It's never about wearing her out, but she is a nice filly and we have to be very cautious with planning out her immediate campaign.”
Casse did visit the Breeders' Cup winner's circle Saturday courtesy of John Oxley's Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), who stamped himself as the early GI Kentucky Derby favorite with a victory over the highly-regarded Not This Time (Giant's Causeway) in the GI Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
“I think he's a little tired, but he ran his butt off,” Casse said. “Given what happened with Valadorna, Julien wanted to make sure we weren't too far away [from the front]. We broke running and he looked at the opportunity and saw it. I was extremely happy going into the first turn and thought 'well we have no excuses from here.'”
Not This Time's trainer Dale Romans reported that his charge exited the race well and would return to his Churchill Downs homebase Sunday.
“I'm proud of his race. He ran hard,” Romans said. “We just got beat by a very good horse. It was a horse race. Mark did a great job with his horse; Mr. Oxley, no one has put more into the game than him. Hopefully these horses will develop a great rivalry for the next year.”
Sovereign Award winner Catch a Glimpse (City Zip), eighth in the F/M Turf, is getting a well-deserved break from training after a sophomore season with five graded victories, including the GI Belmont Oaks and GIII Penn Mile against males.
“Crazy enough, Catch a Glimpse has more energy than anyone this morning,” Casse said. “She's going to go home. She's had a long, hard campaign. She could run back with how good she feels, but she's going to go home and grow up a little bit. We're going to figure out a spring campaign for her and get her back on the winning track. I don't see her and Tepin hooking up together.”
Oxley's GIII Jessamine S. winner La Coronel (Colonel John) was sixth after a tough trip in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“I was really confident in her,” Casse remarked. “You can't give a good filly like the winner 44 feet. You just can't do it. [La Coronel] was the most frustrating because nobody got to see how great she is. She could have maybe handled the 44 feet, but what she couldn't handle was losing all her position in the first turn. The horse in front of her backed up into her and then we were last down the backside. People maybe have said that Florent [Geroux] moved too soon, but he had to move at that point to have any chance of winning. It was just bad luck. She's going to go home and grow up a little bit.”
Casse was also supposed to be represented by GI Natalma S. heroine Victory to Victory (Exchange Rate) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, but was forced to scratch her after she popped a splint the morning of the race.
“The good news is her injury is very minor,” Casse said. “She's an extremely talented filly and she'll have her day. Of course it was disappointing for [owner] Mrs. [Charlotte] Weber and I feel bad for her. A couple years ago American Pharoah had to scratch and Beholder had to scratch last year and those turned out all right. We're OK.”
GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf eighth-place finisher Keep Quiet (Fr) (Elusive City), winner of the GIII Dixiana Bourbon S., is also in good form Sunday and will gear up for a sophomore campaign.
Frosted's Future Unsure & Tamarkuz Retired…
Godolphin's MGISW Frosted (Tapit)'s future plans are unsure following his sixth-place finish in yesterday's Classic.
“We're obviously disappointed,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said of the race. “The top two were very impressive.”
McLaughlin's other two Breeders' Cup runners, GI Las Vegas Dirt Mile upsetter Tamarkuz (Speightstown) and Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d'Oro), who finished 10th in the GI F/M Turf, are both being retired to the breeding shed.
Bred by John D. Gunther, Shadwell Stable's Tamarkuz ended a two-year stint in Dubai with a trio of consecutive victories in the G3 Firebreak S., G3 Burj Nahaar S. and G2 Godolphin Mile and was subsequently transferred to McLaughlin. Runner-up in both the GI Forego S. Aug. 27 and the GII Kelso H. Oct. 8, the $325,000 KEESEP buy sprung an 11-1 upset when scoring his first victory on U.S. soil Friday in the Dirt Mile. He retires with a record of 20-8-4-0 and earnings of $1,840,444.
Godolphin homebred Sentiero Italia won both the GII Lake Placid S. and GII Sands Point in 2015 before finishing third in the GI QEII Challenge Cup S. and fourth in that year's F/M Turf. Kicking off this term with an optional claimer victory at the Spa July 22, the 4-year-old checked in third in the GII Ballston Spa S. Aug. 27 and was second to Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the GI Flower Bowl S. Oct. 8. She retires to Darley with a record of 12-5-1-2 and earnings of $995,245.
California Sprint Runners in Fine Fettle Sunday…
Young trainer Ian Kruljac scored his first Breeders' Cup victory Saturday when longshot Finest City (City Zip), who was also his first BC runner, won the GI F/M Sprint.
“It hasn't sank in yet, I guess,” said the 28-year-old, who confirmed Finest City will remain in training next year. “Just very happy for our family. I'm very proud of course of my filly. The race shaped out the way we expect it. I was expecting her to be close to the lead and not tire.”
BC Sprint runner-up Masochistic (Sought After) came out of the race perfect, according to trainer Ron Ellis.
“He didn't run his best race, but I was still proud of his effort,” Ellis said. “That was a very fast horse [Drefong] who beat us.”
Fifth time was charm for MGISW Obviously (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}), who scored his first championship victory, as well as trainer Phil D'Amato's, in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. D'Amato also saddles BC Mile third Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile).
“They all came back in good order and it was a good experience,” D'Amato said. “The old man [Obviously] finally got the prize and I was very happy for him. He came out of the race in great shape and, who knows, he might race again as a 9-year-old. Midnight Storm, he ran his eyeballs out and he came back in good order too.”
The conditioner added, “We'll let them take it easy for a while and then, maybe this time next week, we'll map out a plan for them. Usually this time of year with Obviously we give him a little bit of a break to get him ready for next year. But he's come out of these races so good and he hasn't lost a step in his training, in my opinion. If he's ready to run more at eight instead of waiting until nine, we'll try to find another race for him. Midnight Storm, we'll probably map out a campaign for 2017 but, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that there could be races for both of them at Del Mar.”
Late-charging Turf Sprint runner-up Om (Munnings) will also be back in 2017 and could possibly make a start at Del Mar's upcoming meet.
“He just got off slow and was farther back than we expected to be,” trainer Dan Hendricks said. “But, he still ran a hell of a race, so we are real proud of him. We didn't win, but he ran super so I can't complain. There is a race for him coming up at Del Mar's Bing Crosby season, but we'll have to decide and look at the schedule to see if that's where we are going to go.”
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