Arrogate tops Longines World's Best Racehorse ratings
Arrogate is now the highest-rated Thoroughbred racehorse of 2016, according to the latest Longines World’s Best Racehorse ratings released Thursday.
Arrogate’s Breeders’ Cup Classic win was rated 134 by the panel of racing officials convened through the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. Arrogate’s rating was one pound higher than California Chrome’s 133 from his brilliant win in the Pacific Classic earlier this year. Arrogate beat California Chrome by a half-length in a thrilling edition of the Classic, with third-place finisher Keen Ice nearly 11 lengths farther back in third.
The 134 makes Arrogate, in the eyes of the IFHA panel, the equal of American Pharoah, whose 134 topped the final 2015 rankings. In 2013-15, the Classic was on average the second-highest-rated race in the world behind the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Found’s win in this year’s Arc, though, was rated just 123.
There were other changes at the top of the ratings, which are updated several times a year, and most recently were revised Oct. 9. The Australian mare Winx, who has rated among the world’s best horses all season, improved her rating from 127 to 130 through her dominant win in the Group 1 Cox Plate. Winx beat the highly regarded Hartnell in that race by a remarkable eight lengths.
Almanzor, a French 3-year-old, saw his rating rise from 127 to 129 through his win over Found in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Beholder and Songbird, separated by an eyelash in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, both improved their rating to 123. That’s the same rating given Highland Reel and Flintshire, the one-two finishers in the BC Turf, while BC Mile winner Tourist (120) made his first appearance in the rankings.
The final 2016 rankings will be released by the IFHA in January.