Arrogate to face one stablemate in San Diego Handicap 2017

In what figures to be the daily regimen leading up to Saturday’s $300,000 Grade II San Diego Handicap, Arrogate jogged about 1 ½ miles on the main track Tuesday morning.

 

The world’s No. 1 horse, earner of more than $17 million in a seven-race winning streak extended through the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, $12 Million Pegasus World Cup Invitational and $10 million Dubai World Cup, went to the track at 9 a.m.

 

The 4-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song stood calmly, head raised, under exercise rider Dana Barnes, amidst a few dozen horses waiting for the signal that the renovated track was open for business. Arrogate hardly batted an eye as a couple of eager equines skittered by on either side and waited patiently for traffic to clear somewhat before Barnes guided him to the outside rail, “backtracking” past the finish line before turning for a lap and a half around the oval and heading back to the barn.

 

Trainer Bob Baffert nominated five horses for the San Diego – Arrogate, Cat Burglar, Collected, Cupid and Mor Spirit – and saw them assigned the top weights of the 14 potential runners. Baffert said Tuesday he plans to run one in addition to Arrogate and while the choice won’t be finalized until entries are due Wednesday, Cat Burglar is the most likely candidate.

 

A seven-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song owned by Michael Lund Petersen, Cat Burglar has six wins from 19 career starts and earnings of $485,500. Cat Burglar was second, albeit a distant 14 lengths behind Collected, in the Precisionist Stakes on June 24 at Santa Anita in his last start.