Breeders' Cup Classic: Arcangelo misses second day of training with warm foot
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ARCADIA, Calif. – Arcangelo, the Belmont Stakes and Travers winner and presumptive favorite for Saturday’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, did not train for two days after developing “a little warmth” in his left hind foot, trainer Jena Antonucci said.
Antonucci said she pulled the left hind shoe from Arcangelo and the horse simply walked at the barn both Sunday and Monday.
Antonucci termed her level of concern as “very low” and did enter Arcangelo on Monday morning in the Classic.
“The pulse has gone away and we’re going in the right direction,” Antonucci said. “It’s a foot and they resolve and it’s gone quickly the right direction – very quickly.”
Antonucci said missing two days of training is not a big deal in her mind.
“We’ve done all of our work,” she said. “We usually do big walks and trail rides and that’s what we did before all of his races, so nothing is different in that regard for us.”
Antonucci said she was hopeful Arcangelo could return to the track Tuesday.
Arcangelo, a son of Arrogate, has won four consecutive races, including the Peter Pan, Belmont Stakes, and Travers. It was by design that he was coming into the Breeders’ Cup having not run since the Travers on Aug. 26.
A field of 13 was expected to be entered Monday for the Classic, the richest of 14 Breeders’ Cup races to be run Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita.
The lineup underwent some renovation over the last few days with the defections of Geaux Rocket Ride (injury), Mage (temperature), and Charge It, who was entered in the $1 million Dirt Mile on Monday, according to Todd Pletcher. King of Steel (Turf) and Skippylongstocking (Dirt Mile) were others pre-entered in the Classic, but wound up in different races.
Pletcher said that Bright Future, the Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, and Dreamlike, the Pennsylvania Derby runner-up – both of whom were also pre-entered in the Dirt Mile – were entered in the Classic. Both horses are owned by Mike Repole and the St. Elias Stable of Vinnie and Teresa Viola.
Bright Future, who earned an automatic berth into the Classic by virtue of his win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, was always intended for the Classic. Bright Future will be ridden by John Velazquez, while Dreamlike will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.
Pletcher said the potential for a strong early pace made the Classic desirable for Dreamlike, who came with a solid late run to finish second, beaten a half-length by Saudi Crown, in the Pennsylvania Derby.
“Pace scenario we thought was favorable, he wants to settle and make one run,” Pletcher said. “We feel like he’s going to improve stretching out to a mile and a quarter.”
Conversely, Pletcher felt the pace scenario in the Classic did not favor Charge It, who prefers to be a forward factor and may not have gotten there with Saudi Crown and Arabian Knight in the field.
“The pace scenario in the [Dirt] Mile suits him a little better,” Pletcher said. “I think he wants to be close. [The Dirt Mile] doesn’t appear to have an abundance a speed for the type of race that it is.”
Velazquez rides Charge It in the Dirt Mile.
If Arcangelo isn’t the favorite for the Classic, then Arabian Knight could be. On Monday, Arabian Knight concluded his major preparations for the Classic working a half-mile in 46.86 seconds, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch. From the half-mile pole, Welsch caught him in splits of 11.43, 23.03, and 46.86, and had him galloping out five furlongs in 59.60.
“I just wanted to sharpen him up because we’ve been putting these long mile works into him,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He’s an aggressive horse. He’s going to have to come out of there running.”
Arabian Knight, a 3-year-old, will look to give Baffert his fifth Classic victory. His previous four wins have all come with 3-year-olds.
Though the post position draw for the Classic was to be held later Monday, the expected field with riders: Arabian Knight (Flavien Prat), Arcangelo (Javier Castellano), Bright Future (John Velazquez), Clapton (Tyler Gaffalione), Derma Sotogake (Christophe Lemarie), Dreamlike (Jose Ortiz), Missed the Cut (Luis Saez), Proxy (Joel Rosario), Saudi Crown (Florent Geroux), Senor Buscador (Geovanni Franco), Ushba Tesoro (Yuga Kawada), White Abarrio (Irad Ortiz Jr.), and Zandon (Frankie Dettori).
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