Saturday's GII San Diego H. was a fait accompli. A done deal. What was supposed to be a walk in the park for 'TDN Rising Star' Arrogate (Unbridled's Song) quickly morphed into a nightmare, as the heretofore invincible grey colt looked in trouble a long ways out and Hronis Racing's Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky) streaked down the lane an 8 1/2-length winner. A stunned on-track crowd watched Arrogate cross the line a listless fourth, in no small way resembling the animal that had won seven in a row, including four straight million-dollar plus races and had bankrolled some $13 million in prize money alone in his last two races.
“He was just flat. I think he was just flat,” offered trainer Bob Baffert. “I knew coming down here can be tough. Maybe I should have blown him out [down here]. [Jockey] Mike [Smith] said he was just flat and never in the race did he feel he had any horse. [Cat Burglar {Unbridled's Song}] was flat, too. I thought he'd run better than that, but he just didn't want to go. I think he [Arrogate] just laid an egg. I don't think it had anything to do with the track. He was just flat.”
Saturday, Del Mar
TVG SAN DIEGO H.-GII, $300,000, DMR, 7-22, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.15, ft.
1–ACCELERATE, 117, c, 4, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Issues (SP), by Awesome Again
2nd Dam: Darlin Echo, by Eastern Echo
3rd Dam: Darlin Lindy, by Cox's Ridge
($380,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Mike
Abraham (KY); T-John W. Sadler; J-Victor Espinoza. $180,000.
Lifetime Record: GISP, 12-4-3-4, $607,480. *1/2 to Amarish
(Scat Daddy), SW & GSP, $208,519; Daddy D T (Scat Daddy),
SW & GISP, $230,609. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”bluewater-sales-half-bro-by-bernardini-at-keesep”][bullet ad=”bluewater-shell-big-fish”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Donworth, 116, h, 5, Tiznow–Temple Street, by Street Cry 'TDN Rising Star'
(Ire). ($550,000 3yo '15 KEENOV). O-Reddam Racing LLC;
B-K.C. Garrett Farm LLC (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $60,000.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”]3–Cat Burglar, 118, h, 7, Unbridled's Song–Be My Prospect, by
Forest Wildcat. ($410,000 Wlg '10 KEENOV). O-Michael Lund
Petersen; B-Gulf Coast Farms LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $36,000.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”]Margins: 8HF, 2HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 7.80, 24.80, 18.00.
Also Ran: Arrogate, El Huerfano. Scratched: Dalmore.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Someone had to be the second choice to Arrogate and the betting public landed on Accelerate, who was best-backed into a surprisingly low 7-1 ahead of the off. The San Diego field was off to an uneventful start bar El Huerfano (Tannersmyman), who bobbled and caused apprentice Evin Roman to lose his irons. Accelerate, racing with blinkers on, made the most of his inside draw to head them off early chased by 'TDN Rising Star' Donworth. The uncontrollable El Huerfano raced in that first flight as well and the Baffert-trained Cat Burglar had his stablemate behind turning up the backside.
While the pacesetter was going along nicely up front, as early as 5 1/2 furlongs for home there were some ominous signs coming from Mike Smith, who was having to urge and niggle at the typically aggressive Arrogate to pick up. Accelerate took them into the turn and with about three-eighths of a mile to go, Arrogate seemed to be making a little bit of a run, though he was still being asked to do it, and when Accelerate spurted clear off the final corner, it was clear it was not Arrogate's day. With a pump of the fist, Victor Espinoza and Acclerate crossed the line much the best. Donworth chased from second throughout and completed the exacta. With better than $792,000 of the place pool of $839,000 and $1.3 million of the $1.4 million show pool on Arrogate's nose, Accelerate returned $32.60 to place and $22 to show. Donworth paid $119.80 to place and $67.40 to show, while Cat Burglar paid $38.20 to show.
“I was surprised by how far I won,” Espinoza commented. “I wasn't surprised that I did; I was here to win. I thought I'd sit second or third, but when that speed horse [El Huerfano] stumbled at the start, I made an easy lead. He's a nice horse.”
Winner of this track's Shared Belief S. last season, Accelerate went on to win the GII Los Alamitos Derby before running third to Tamarkuz (Speightstown) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Competitive, though winless, in four runs this term, Accelerate was exiting a distant third to the Baffert-trained Collected (City Zip) and Cat Burglar in the June 24 GIII Precisionist S. at Santa Anita.
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