Arrogate showed why he is the world's best horse

Dubai - The $10 million Group 1 encounter had its fair share of drama

It would perhaps be tough to describe or aptly sum up what transpired at the Meydan Racecourse on a shimmering Saturday night at the Dubai World Cup. Arrogate, said to be the world's best horse, ran like one, to clinch the biggest contest in horse racing.
But the $10 million Group 1 encounter had its fair share of drama, and then some more. Saddled by two-time Dubai World Cup winner Bob Baffert, was slow off the blocks and was left trailing the rest of the pack before jockey Mike Smith put him back in gear.
It then turned out to be a fairytale in the end, or a miracle, maybe, as Arrogate took his rightful place, at the front, in the end. Arrogate went on to win the 2000-metre race in two minutes, two seconds and 15th of a second, but more importantly, his win could be compared to FC Barcelona's stunning fightback against Paris Saint-Germain, in the Champions League, not so long ago.
Barca, as we all know, had seemed done and dusted following that first leg 4-0 verdict at the Parc de Princes in Paris. But the Catalans still kept hope and belief when the reverse leg came home. And we all know all too well, what happened at the Camp Nou.
Arrogate's run was similar. It was a fightback, a comeback of epic proportions, and stunning run which left everyone present, floored.
Baffert was almost left speechless at what he had just seen.
"It's unbelievable what he did. I was actually listening to the crowd and everybody was thinking, 'oh, he has no chance'. That was an incredible performance. When he turned for home, he started to give and maybe I thought 'this is it'. He did that. That is the best I have ever seen in my life," Baffert said after the race. "Everybody who was here tonight is going to say, 'I'm glad I was here to see that.' If anybody wasn't super impressed with that, they just don't like horse racing. I still can't believe he won the race," the American added.
Dubbed the 'Blue Locomotive,' because of his colours and his sheer speed, Arrogate went on to show just why he was the famed Breeders' Cup Classic and the Pegasus World Cup winner.
Seven wins from eight starts, and with him turning four on April 11, there's more to come from Arrogate. For now, though, the son of Unbridled's Song has earned a well-deserved rest after putting himself besides the likes of California Chrome in the Hall of Fame at Meydan.
Meanwhile, the nine-race meeting had begun with Doug Watson's Second Summer winning the Godolphin Mile, under Patrick Dobbs. His was a surprise victory considering that Sharp Azteca as well as Satish Seemar's North America were the favourites to land the spoils.
Staying on surprises, Reda was one too, with the horse, representing Qatar, winning the Dubai Kahayla Classic, the only race for Purebred Arabians.
Normal service resumed though with favourite Vazirabad clinching the Dubai Gold Cup, next up, although it was a tight contest, so to say, with Godolphin's Beautiful Romance, which finished second.
Godolphin did open their account with Thunder Snow winning the UAE Derby to give Emirati trainer Saeed bin Suroor his eighth winner. The Al Quoz Sprint was won by The Right Man, while Mind You Biscuits gave rookie trainer Chad Summers, his first win, after he landed the Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Japan too put their name on the board with Vivlos coming out on top in the Dubai Turf, while Godolphin got their second of the night with Jack Hobbs winning the Dubai Sheema Classic.
james@khaleejtimes.com