The Dubai World Cup and the Breeders' Cup Classic - Part II.

 

The Dubai World Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic – Part II.

Joseph Di Rienzi

In Part I. of this two part series, I looked at the first four horses who tried to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the same year they triumphed in the Dubai World Cup. In this second piece, the efforts of the last three horses who failed to complete the Dubai World Cup – Breeders’ Cup Classic will be reviewed.

 

California Chrome winning the 2016 Dubai World Cup
(bloodhorse.com)

The next opportunity for a horse to try this double was in 2016. The charismatic rags-to-riches California Chrome had actually run in the Dubai World Cup the previous year finishing second. However, subsequent injuries precluded a tilt at the year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. As a five-year-old “Chrome”, as he was called by his multitude of admirers, began 2016 racing in January with a victory in the San Pasqual Stakes at Santa Anita. Now owned by a partnership called California Chrome LLC, the plucky son of Lucky Pulpit followed a similar route that Curlin took winning a prep race in Dubai and then forging to a decisive triumph in the World Cup itself at Meydan Racecourse.

After a brief rest, the Art Sherman trained flashy chestnut streaked into the Breeders’ Cup Classic with victories in the San Diego Handicap, Pacific Classic and Awesome Again Stakes. With the Breeders’ Cup this year at Santa Anita at Chrome’s home track (back to a traditional dirt surface) it was believed the stars were aligned for him to complete his campaign undefeated.

The Classic saw nine go to post with California Chrome the clear favorite. His main adversary appeared to be three-year-old Arrogate who trained up the Classic from his track record breaking Travers Stakes victory. Other entries included Frosted, Melatonin, Hoppertunity, Effinex and Keen Ice.

After the break, Victor Espinoza pushed Chrome to the front followed by Melatonin. Arrogate was not sent forward by Mike Smith as he did in the Travers but took a rating position in third place a couple of lengths behind the leader. The first three positions were unchanged down the backstretch as California Chrome was running comfortably on the lead. Around the far turn, Smith angled Arrogate inside of Melatonin as he took aim at California Chrome. Down the stretch, California Chrome continued to stride out purposefully, and, although Arrogate was under a drive on the outside, it appeared he was not gaining. That changed just before the finish when the big gray son of Unbridled’s Song leveled out as only the really good horses do and thrusted himself forward to pass Chrome for an astonishing ½ length victory. The magnitude of the performance of the top two finishers was exemplified in that third finishing Keen Ice checked in 10¾ lengths further back.

 

Arrogate winning the 2017 Dubai World Cup
(forbes.com)

Arrogate joined the others who completed the Breeders’ Cup – World Cup duet in different years. Prior to that in January of 2017, the lanky gray son of Unbridled’s Song had a rematch with California Chrome in a newly inaugurated race, the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. The latter in his final race before retirement was below form as the Juddmonte Stable color bearer won decisively setting a new track record for the 9 furlong distance. Racing next in Dubai against what would be a formidable opponent in Gun Runner, the Bob Baffert trainee overcame a poor start to rally from last place to win going away from his new rival by 2½ lengths.

Hailed as the 21^st century Man o’ War, there seemed no challengers to Arrogate’s supremacy. Since August 2016, he had, in the Travers, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and the Dubai World Cup put together a string of performances that were comparable to the best of any other thoroughbred’s achievements. Rather than retire him, his connections set sights on a repeat try in the Breeder’s Cup Classic. It was the sporting thing to do, but, as we will see, it will sully his legacy. 

Following a pattern set by other West Coast based Dubai World Cup victors, Arrogate was rested until late July and then resurfaced in the San Diego Handicap. He shocked the racing world with a listless performance finishing fourth between over 15 lengths to Accelerate. Running next in the Pacific Classic he failed by a ½ length to catch his barn mate Collector. A hypothesis posed for these losses was that the son of Unbridled’s Song did not take to the Del Mar surface. In the aftermath, Baffert resolved to press on to the Breeders’ Cup Classic despite it being held at Del Mar in 2017.

In the Classic, Arrogate would face again Gun Runner, who since his loss in Dubai had become a racing machine. The sculpted son of Candy Ride had pulverized his fields in the Stephen Foster Handicap, the Whitney and the Woodward Stakes winning by an aggregate of over 22 lengths. His blowout victories coupled with Arrogate’s shocking defeats at Del Mar, led people to believe what was unthinkable after the Dubai World Cup, that Gun Runner was now the best horse in training in the U. S.

Bob Baffert was by no means single handed in the Classic as he saddled Collected and three-year-old West Coast who had scored impressive victories in the Travers Stakes and the Pennsylvania Derby. To add an international flavor to the race, the English and Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Churchill, was also entered.

For Arrogate, things went awry quickly as he ducked in from his no. 1 post and had to be steadied near the rear of the field. Jockey Florent Geroux took the same approach he used during Gun Runner’s winning streak in that he would let his mount run freely and see if anyone could out sprint them. By the stands the first time, Gun Runner had a narrow lead over Collected with Churchill saving ground in third positon and West Coast to his outside. Down the backstretch, Gun Runner was a ½ length in front of Collected, setting fast fractions with West Coast and Churchill a few lengths behind. Mike Smith had Arrogate settled between horses in eighth place, hoping for a Dubai-like rally. As they headed around the far turn, the two leaders separated themselves from the rest of the field as the Classic turned into a match race. At the top of the stretch, it appeared that Collected had a slight advantage, but when Geroux roused Gun Runner, he slowly edged away. At the finish, Gun Runner was 2¼ lengths in front of Collected who held second by 1¼ lengths over West Coast. Arrogate, who made a tepid move in the stretch, finished in a dead heat for fifth place.

Thunder Snow winning the 2018 Dubai World Cup
(forbes.com)

The last horse to date who has tried to complete the double in the same year had a completely different profile than the previous six I have discussed. Thunder Snow, owned by Godolphin Stable and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, was bred in Ireland and had his early racing in England and France. The son of Australia stallion Helmet won a major race in France to end his juvenile season in 2016. He came to the fore in Dubai as a three-year-old winning both UAE 2000 Guineas and Derby. Thunder Snow’s reputation took a nose dive after he bucked and unseated his rider just after the start in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.

After a successful sophomore season in Europe, the now four-year-old chestnut colt returned to the Middle East and in his fourth start of the Dubai World Cup Carnival led all the way to win the 2018 World Cup by 5¼ lengths.

Off a second place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Thunder Snow returned to Churchill Downs, the scene of his disastrous Derby performance the year before for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Providing a much more credible performance, he contended for the lead in mid-stretch only to finish third to Accelerate, beaten a total of 1¾ lengths.

Thunder Snow in 2019 was able to repeat in the Dubai World Cup (the only one so far), but after finishing third in the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, an injury precluded another try at the Classic.

We see from Parts I. and II., the difficulty in achieving this idiosyncratic double. This year’s Dubai World Cup hero, Country Grammar, has the right connections in Bob Baffert (four time Classic winning trainer) and has just finished second in the Pacific Classic. However, the greatest impediment to Country Grammar breaking precedent is not the past, but the present, in the form of the unworldly Flightline.