In this modern era thoroughbred race horses might have a 3- or 4-year professional career, retiring for the breeding shed at about age 5 or 6. From there, in-demand sires might spend a decade or more hard a work at the business end of business. Thus it came as a shock to the world of horse racing this week when the 7-year old champion race horse Arrogate was euthanized following a difficult weeklong fight with a neurological illness.
You can read The Bloodhorse news report here.
The Bloodhorse columnist Steve Haskins remembers Arrogate in his latest posting "Arrogate The Four-Race Phenom." Haskins runs down the roster of accomplished horses Arrogate defeated in just a 4-race span:
As a 3-year old colt facing older horses in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic Arrogate rallied into soft fractions to overtake two-time Horse of the Year award winner California Chrome near the wire for a great victory. You can re-read my brief account of this race by clicking here. Generally speaking, when a horse is able to set the pace with relatively slow fractional times at the quarter mile, half mile and/or three quarter mile intervals, that pace-setting horse is difficult to overtake simply because there is still energy in reserve that wasn't expended earlier that can propel the pace-setter home to victory. If you watch the 2016 BC Classic race replay, note half way around the far turn that jockey Mike Smith navigates Arrogate - then running third - to the inside of the horse running second to overtake and then when turning for home Mike Smith moves Arrogate to the outside of California Chrome. The burst of speed Arrogate unleashes nearing the finish to surge past California Chrome was visually impressive.
Five months later, in winning the 2017 Dubai World Cup, Arrogate ran what is to this point the greatest horse race run so far this century. Not the fastest race, not the most important race, but the difficulties Arrogate overcame and the effort required to win against a field of tremendous horses produced a triumphant result that exemplifies the gritty determination of a champion.
That dark March night in Dubai a strong wind was blowing a pelting rain nearly horizontal. Uncharacteristically Arrogate broke out of the gate last. Just strides out of the gate a hole closed on Arrogate and jockey Mike Smith had to check (or pull back hard on the reins to dramatically slow the progress). As the field passes the grandstand for the first time, Arrogate is dead last and about a dozen lengths behind the leader. For most horses, with so much distance to make up and a blizzard of dirt being kicked in the face, at this point their race is already over. Racing down the backstretch, with more than a half-mile to go, Arrogate is swung 8-wide (losing ground in the process) in order to find a clear path to rally. Entering the far turn Arrogate is still near the back of the field. Turning for home Arrogate launches an explosive move, accelerating in a flash to begin inhaling the horses in front of him. At the top of the homestretch, now running in 4th, the 3rd place horse drifts out and bumps Arrogate. Arrogate shakes off that contact and begins rolling like an out of control locomotive, blowing past the leader and cruising to a victory that appeared easy (see if you can catch jockey Mike Smith go to the whip more than twice) but wasn't.
The race, the effort, was so incredible - almost unbelievable - that in the aftermath I immediately began texting my fellow horseplayers to see if they were watching and urging them to watch the replay if they were not. I've never found myself as excited about a race result in which I didn't have a wagering interest than I did on that day.
Arrogate didn't have a sustained career on the track. But for a brief span of approximately 7 months from August of 2016 to March of 2017 Arrogate as great a thoroughbred race horse as any that ever lived.
Hail and farewell, Arrogate!
