Arrogate's five-furlong work on Tuesday puts Baffert at ease
ARCADIA, Calif. - Arrogate looked like his old self at Santa Anita on Tuesday morning, when he went five furlongs in 59.40 seconds and galloped out with enthusiasm, with jockey Rafael Bejarano bringing him all the way around to the furlong pole - a full six furlongs after the work ended.
"That was good for him," trainer Bob Baffert said after the drill, the second for Arrogate since a brief freshening following his second-place finish in the Pacific Classic. "I can sleep tonight. He did it the right way."
Bejarano has worked Arrogate both times since his return, replacing Martin Garcia as his work rider. Garcia had worked Arrogate this summer at Del Mar. Mike Smith is his race rider.
"I like the way he works that horse," Baffert said, referring to Bejarano. "He gets along really well."
Baffert said he is happy with the weight Arrogate is holding, something the trainer has been focused on throughout Arrogate's career.
"I want to keep the weight on him," Baffert said. "Just trying to keep him happy."
Arrogate will not race again until Nov. 4 at Del Mar in the Breeders' Cup Classic, which he won last year when the race was at Santa Anita. He has not won a race since the Dubai World Cup six months ago.
Arrogate and the Baffert-trained Collected will bypass the Awesome Again Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita. Baffert said he will run Cupid and could run Mubtaahij, who worked five furlongs in 1:00 on Tuesday morning in company with Hoppertunity.
"I might put him in there," Baffert said Tuesday. "I want to see how he looks tomorrow morning."
Hoppertunity is farther behind in his training and is not quite ready to return to action.
Baffert's other Breeders' Cup winner from last year, Drefong, continued his preparation for a title defense in the Breeders' Cup Sprint with an easy half-mile work in 48.20 seconds on Tuesday, about 75 minutes before Arrogate's drill. Smith was aboard.
"He's going really good," Smith said.
Both Arrogate and Drefong had company for their works.
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