Arrogate won the 2016 Travers at Saratoga by 13 ½ lengths to give trainer Bob Baffert his second career victory in the Mid-Summer Derby, his first since 2001 when he won this race with Horse of the Year, Point Given.

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith hustled Arrogate right to the lead and they stayed in front for the entire ten furlong grade one race, drawing off down the stretch to beat his stablemate, American Freedom, in a track record and stakes record time of 1:59.35, besting the records of General Assembly that have stood since 1979.

Arrogate shipped east to Saratoga having only run four times in his career. Since finishing third in his first start in April, he won his next three races that included a level one allowance at Santa Anita going a mile and a sixteenth that earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103. He followed that speedy effort by beating a field of three at Del Mar on August 4.

The Travers field of thirteen, included the Belmont Stakes winner Creator, who was sent off at odds of 8.80-1 and the Preakness and Haskell winner Exaggerator, the post time favorite at 2.55-1.

From the start, the Travers was dominated by the two Bob Baffert runners. They were right next to each other in the starting gate with Arrogate breaking from the one hole and American Freedom from the two.

Arrogate quickly took control of the race, closest to the rail, while his stablemate was in the three path battling with the Jim Dandy winner, Laoban. While Arrogate set quick early fractions of 23.23, 46.84, and 1:10.85, he was moving very comfortably with no pressure from the rest of the field. After the mile went in 1:35.52, Arrogate had a lead of two lengths. At the stretch call he had opened up to a 7 ½ length lead.

In the final furlong Smith still had plenty of horse underneath him as they ran the final quarter mile in 23.84, while drawing off to become the first horse to break the 2:00 barrier for ten furlongs at Saratoga.

After the race Smith acknowledged the powerful performance of the son of Unbridled’s Song, “I rode his father. He looks so much like his father. He was an unbelievably talented horse and his son might be even more talented. It’s crazy, He just did a mile and a quarter and as you can see galloping out, I had trouble getting him to stop.”

For Hall of Fame trainer the win in the Travers provided a bit of vindication from last year when his Triple Crown winner American Pharaoah was upset here at the Spa. Not only did Baffert win this race, but Drefong, another of his runners, dominated the King’s Bishop (G1) earlier on the card.

“After Drefong, when he ran so well, I knew we were in good shape,” said Baffert. “We were nervous and all, but I knew my horses were ready. They were going to fire. I felt like I was in the Kentucky Derby today. It was that kind of pressure. I’m just thankful – last year, we were supposed to do this. It just didn’t happen. It didn’t work. Everything happens for a reason, unfortunately, but I’m just glad to be back here.”

Arrogate, a son of Unbridled’s Song, who was sent off at odds of 11.70-1, won his first stakes race in the Travers and paid $25.40, 12.60, 8.40. The $2 exacta of the Baffert trainees paid $134.50. For his career Arrogate stands at 5: 4-0-1 with earnings of $784,600. Laoban faded badly down the stretch to finish 12th. Gun Runner managed to get third place after breaking from the far outside.

Arrogate’s victory in the Travers, which was the final grade one stake restricted to three-year-olds males, made the race for divisional honors even more confusing. Exaggerator the leader going into the race finished a disappointing eleventh and the Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, has not had a workout since the Haskell.

Looking ahead with Arrogate, Baffert said, “I think that he’s the kind of horse that, after what he did today, he could go into the Breeders’ Cup fresh like Pharoah did. I don’t think that’s a big problem for him.” 

Horseracingnation.com