Arrogate using San Pasqual as prep for Pegasus

ARCADIA, Calif. – Arrogate is not a normal horse, and January is not a normal month for a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner to resume a campaign.

So, yes, it is curious to see Arrogate in a $200,000 race Sunday, only two months after he won the $6 million BC Classic.

“Usually, I would have kicked him out,” trainer Bob Baffert said.

This year, however, there is plenty incentive to keep running.

The inaugural $12 million Pegasus World Cup is Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park, and before Arrogate tries to defeat California Chrome for the second time – they finished one-two in the BC Classic – Arrogate could use a prep race. The campaign will continue.

“I just want to get a nice race into him,” Baffert said.

The Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita is a nice race, though Baffert acknowledges it is not the objective.

“We’d like to win,” he said. “Does he have to? My focus is Jan. 28 – that’s the one we want.”

Four others entered the San Pasqual, including front-runner Midnight Storm.

“I have a lot of respect for Midnight Storm,” Baffert said. “But he’s not in the same area code as that other horse.”

The ‘other horse’ is California Chrome, whose prep two weeks ago was an easy win over a weak field at Los Alamitos. The San Pasqual is legitimate, with a quality field. And who knows? Maybe front-running Grade 1 winner Midnight Storm will shake loose.

“It’s going to be a tougher prep than the one at Los Al,” Midnight Storm’s trainer Phil D’Amato assured. “My horse could not be doing better. He’s training up a storm. We’ll get a good gauge how good we are. In my opinion, we’re running against the Horse of the Year.”

Arrogate has won five straight, including the Travers by more than 13 lengths followed by the BC Classic. And though he is likely to start as the odds-on favorite Sunday under Mike Smith, the cutback from 1 1/4 miles does not benefit Arrogate.

“He’ll be vulnerable going a mile and a sixteenth,” Baffert said.

Three others were entered in the San Pasqual: Accelerate, a Grade 2 winner and third in the BC Dirt Mile; Prospect Park, a Grade 2-placed runner stretching out from two sprints; and Grade 3 winner Dalmore.

Arrogate is the star of the San Pasqual, even if it is merely a prep race at a short distance. The alternative is to train up to the Pegasus, with nearly three months between starts.

“With the rains and all that, I said I’ll just give him a race,” Baffert said. “This will be his hard work. I don’t have to do a lot with him after this. I can just sort of maintenance-drill him into (the Pegasus), sharpen him up.”

Rain was expected to end by Sunday. Meanwhile, Baffert will monitor weather and track condition.

“I’m watching it really close,” he said. “If the track was sealed or something, I don’t know if I’d run. It depends on how much rain we get, but so far it’s been pretty good here. Water does help this track.”

Arrogate, who is owned by Juddmonte Farms, posted a seven-furlong work Dec. 21.

“He was blowing a little bit,” Baffert said. “He usually doesn’t blow at all. Then he came back and worked really nice (Dec. 27). He’s pretty happy.”

Among the qualities possessed by Arrogate are his stride, speed, and air capacity.

“He’s quick, he’s light on his feet, but he’s got that long stride and can close a gap on a horse really quick,” Baffert said. “He’s like Usain Bolt, he might be out-footed the first couple, but once he gets in that stride …”

When he hits full stride, Arrogate can close the gap on any horse. He did that in the BC Classic, wearing down California Chrome.

“It took a super horse to run him down,” Baffert said. “Chrome was running, we were running. For him to do that … wow!”

Arrogate will get a vacation following the Pegasus.

“He won’t run until late summer,” Baffert said. “The Breeders’ Cup Classic will be the main goal. We’ll shoot for Del Mar, and we’ll shoot for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Midnight Storm, who has won four of his last five while finishing third in the BC Mile, will run Sunday “rain or shine,” according to D’Amato. Although Midnight Storm also is a candidate for the Pegasus, his focus is Saturday.

“This is an important race overall for (Midnight Storm),” D’Amato said. “Not so much with the Pegasus in mind, but in terms of how we campaign him in 2017, what path we take from here on out in terms of dirt or turf.”

Rafael Bejarano regains the mount on Midnight Storm, a 9-for-20 millionaire who won a Grade 3 dirt race last out at Del Mar.