Arrogate's work has Baffert thinking San Pasqual Stakes

Arrogate, the winner of the Travers Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic in his two most recent starts, worked so well at Santa Anita on Tuesday that trainer Bob Baffert is considering starting him in the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 1.

Arrogate worked five furlongs in 58.40 seconds, the fastest of 76 works at the distance.

“He looked awesome,” Baffert said. “He did it effortlessly. The race on the first might be an option.”

The Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes is run at 1 1/16 miles and is the first graded stakes of the Santa Anita winter-spring season for older horses around two turns. For Arrogate, the race would likely be a prep for an expected start in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28.

Tuesday’s workout came five days after Arrogate worked a half-mile in 48 seconds on Dec. 8. Baffert pushed the most recent workout forward because Santa Anita’s main track was scheduled to be closed on Wednesday to film a television commercial and rain was forecast for Thursday.

Arrogate worked alone Tuesday but started about 100 yards behind two other horses. Baffert said those horses might have served as a target for Arrogate. Arrogate passed the other horses in the final furlong.

“He was going to go an easy five-eighths, and he sort of galloped up to them at the end,” he said.

Owned by Juddmonte Farms, Arrogate has won 5 of 6 starts and earned $4,084,600. Arrogate was third in his career debut at Los Alamitos last April and has won his last five starts. The Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 27 and the BC Classic on Nov. 5 are the only stakes appearances for the 3-year-old.