With final Pegasus work near, Arrogate gets in gallop

ARCADIA, Calif. – The recent wet weather in Southern California has forced trainers to work around the rain, but even though Arrogate’s preparation for the $12 million Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park could have been more severely impacted, he looked sensational during an extended gallop Wednesday at Santa Anita as he nears his final prerace workout this weekend.

With exercise rider Dana Barnes up, Arrogate jogged a half-mile to the starting gate to school, then galloped nearly two miles, showing the fluid, extended stride that has carried him to victories in his last two starts in the Travers Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Pegasus features a BC Classic rematch between Arrogate and California Chrome.

“He’s moving so good,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He’s coming into this like he was before the Travers. This might have been the last chance I had to gallop him this week.”

Baffert would prefer to work Arrogate on Sunday, but with a series of storms forecast to hit the area beginning Thursday, Baffert’s best option may be to go Saturday.

“I’ve got to get that work in,” Baffert said. “I may have to move it up a day.”

Baffert said finding work days around the rain has been “challenging.”

“I’ve got to pick my spots,” he said. “So far, we’re golden.”

Arrogate is scheduled to fly to Florida on Tuesday. He is a finalist on Saturday for the male 3-year-old Eclipse Award – for which he is strongly favored – as well as Horse of the Year, which is expected to go to California Chrome.

The Baffert-trained Drefong, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in his last start, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds on Wednesday at Santa Anita under jockey Mike Smith, who told Baffert, “We lit him up,” as a frisky Drefong jogged off the track after the work.

Drefong is being pointed to the Golden Shaheen in Dubai at the end of March, and Baffert said that likely will be his first start since the Breeders’ Cup. Drefong was scheduled to run in the Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 but came up with a temperature.

“He didn’t go to the track for a week,” Baffert said.

Drefong is a finalist for the male sprint Eclipse Award on Saturday night.