sad ending to a mercurial climb and descent of an intriguing horse.

Hopefully his few crops of foals have something special in them

riotracer that was not chromes best race ever but I'm really nervous for the Pegasus World Cup I hope chrome gets revenge and retires well with a great record he's already won so much I really don't won't him to retire with 2 losses in a row. Arrogate Is a freak i hope he has a bright and successful career !!!

#Howtobeme? Well he certainly didn't. CC was certainly injured in the PWC, if you saw the way Victor had top force him to change his lead in the home stretch

California Chrome ran a 119 Beyer in this BCC. It was his career best but it came in a 2nd-place effort. Arrogate was just a freak who could beat anyone, but his excellence only lasted for a short while. After his Pegasus win Arrogate just lost his mojo and closed out his career with a series of losses without being finishing on the board. Arrogate burned phosphorus-hot but burned out quickly -- basically all during his 3 yr old year. Chrome burned white-hot from age 2 through age 5.

Espinoza is the big loser.

@@ScotchIrishTarheel You don't know what your talking about. Arrogate came out of the Dubai lame and never recovered from that incredible run he made in that race and effort that was required. Watch him when he was breezing after the race and watch his tail and ears. This horse always finished with his ears pricked and he was in pain. Chromeheads...excuse after excuse after excuse.......and guess what.......Ghostzapper would have beaten them all and in fact ran the fastest Beyers and speed record ever which has never been eclisped and never will.

It's great to think that even AP clocked a 120 beyer in his Classic last year.. And Arrogate is a fresh 3 year old just starting his career.. And has already clocked two 120 beyers (120 & 122).. Forced Chrome to run the fastest he's ever had to run, and he lost.. And Arrogate barely drew a breath.. This horse is a monster. He's a freak. A fresh 3 year old just doesn't do that, not what he's done so far. I love Pharoah with all that I have in my heart.. He was sensational and perfection, and I'm sad we never got to see his best. Arrogate is sort of lessening the sting.. He's leaving me wondering, had he run in the TC races this year, in this form, would we have had 2 consecutive Triple Crowns? His stamina seems unlimited. He's a rocket, he's relentless. Arrogate is just.. Abnormal.

yesssssss!! this horse is an absolute BEAST. I cannot wait for his upcoming season. He runs like an older male and given how underwhelming last year's two year old crop was, I cannot WAIT to see how this Silver Bullet fairs against next year's crop.

yes very and consistent. sub 2.00 at saratoga NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE!!!! 2.00 FOR BCC, 1.46 FOR PWC AND LAST TO FIRST RUN AT DUBAI!!!!!

SkyPantherr American pharaoh 120 was a bit inflated in his last start

@Mauro Perdomo Probably so.

I think he was just looking to see what side the big A was on Cause he went from inside to the outside.... No shock that Arrogate was there. More shocked he happened passed him yet! ;)

I don't think he was shocked , nothing surprising about the big A being right there..... California Chrome is an amazing horse regardless of second finish.... Huge soft spot for Arrogate.... No horse puts on a finish like him..... I watch his races over and over and they never get old....

..Still coming :) like a formula 1

Shocked is laughable. He knew Arrogate would be coming just a question of when. He isn't stupid. They study each horse before a race.

Agreed, he may have though he was supposed to be coming based on pre-race analysis. But he looked left in the far turn saw nothing mid way through the far turn, then looked right and saw nothing 3/4 through the far turn. The whole time he didn't ask a thing from Chrome. Then a last look to his right as they entered the stretch and boom there was arrogate. That was certainly a shock in the moment. He would have started pumping on Chrome earlier if he had been able to see Arrogate coming. I mean you can see the surprise he had because Chrome jumped a path inside when Victor started pumping. It wasn't a natural build up. I'd like to think if Chrome put a little more distance between him and Arrogate at the end of the far turn he could of held on by a nose at the end. But maybe Arrogate was just to good that day. Either way. Good riding from both Jocks. Great Horses. Great Race

Kevin Small

Different biomechanics. Arrogate runs like a locomotive, slow to get started progressively gains because of his stride length then eventually hits top speed and just seems to keep going faster. He has an absolutely MONSTER stride. He runs with his head low and his entire body seems to stretch out and run 'close to the ground'. Pharoah however showed what I would call a more 'perfect' stride. He had a lot of natural early speed. The kind of stride he had just glided effortlessly across the ground because it was ultra efficient. His style was that of a horse with a good cruising speed, he would generally take the lead if he could, maintain his speed for most of the race then kick away at the end. His stride was not necessarily remarkably long, just cost-efficient.

Arrogate is also just a freak three year old. To do this at three in his second ever stakes race after doing what he did in the Travers in his stakes debut. That just doesn't happen. Bob Baffert is so fucking lucky. That's two freak, monster, beastly three year olds in consecutive years. I only wish Arrogate were ready by the TC series. Oh, and speaking of BB, he really is one of the luckiest guys on Earth. He's literally fortunate to just be alive after what transpired overseas several years back. I'm always nervous for the guy in these huge races. The back of my mind can't stop asking the question, "Is he sure his heart can take the thrill?"

cgarnet01

Smith beat that horse to a pulp...,shameful

Dont eat your words, remember HOLY BULL, the racing gods dont care about ability, one bad step and he is just another BCC winner and nobody ever remembers. There is no 4 year old season until they run it, he is tained by baffert we dont know yet if he is the next beyern. chrome all time money earner thats saying something. that just 30 years of horse racing anecdotes empirically spoken.

I really hope he lasts. But Unbridled Songs often don't.

julie hertz Aarogate is only fast because of the excessive use of the crop. Take the crop away during that race and Aarogate never would of caught Chrome. Seven other horses were 10 lengths behind Chrome.

Angie Price Then obviously you don't know anything about Victor Espinoza. He's notorious for excessive whipping, there's a difference between using a whip to keep the horse concentrated like he did to Arrogate in the Classic than seeing Victor Espinoza multiple times beating a horse when it has zero chance to even make show.

Annaliese Eaton yes I know and he was fined. He was also riding Baffert, whom I don't care for. Baffert probably instructed him to be aggressive.

711ATOM I was impressed with how fair the dirt played for the weekend, not many frontrunners hanging on, apparently someone at Santa Anita discovered what a harrow is used for.

Yes, good point (the harrow)! It wasn't the Santa Anita Drag Strip this weekend!

Stop making excuses for CC. It was a big loss. The announcer said :47 at the half was easy for CC. CC is not the Best Horse in the World, losing to Arrogate. He is a much bigger horse than Arro, older more mature, and should have beaten him. It's only one and a quarter miles, Kentucky Derby. Beholder ran the same distance in 1:59.77. A better time than CC at the same age. His times are nothing to brag about, and neither is his won loss record. He has won lots of money. That does not make him the world's greatest horse, just the richest. I don't see what everybody sees in him. He does not bear weight, Shared Belief beat him easily. I love how the announcer said, "CC ran a great race today, but got beat." Nothing about Shared Belief.

Zenaida Robbins I'm at a loss, where did you see some kind of excuse for Chrome's loss?

aj gensel I don't know who makes me more sick. Secretariat worshhippers or CC worshippers. Maybe I did not read the post correctly or in full. Arrogate is a mystery. Is he really as good as he looked in onlly two races? What do you think?

How beautiful these Athletes must be in person huh.

He is a good horse not great. That word is used too much. If he was a great horse he would have won the Belmont.

3yo wins Fbi investigation

tubeyhamster MIKE SMITH

Always be wary of any horse that comes to a race after breaking a track record.Chrome should of made more of the race in the early - mid stage as he was the best galloper and these jocks get too cocky in the driving seat expecting horses to work only in the end game.

garyoptica Chrome's connections have made some poor choices, they've let him coast to the finish of all his races this year rather than making him drive to the wire, they sent him to the front when the dirt favored off the pace and outside all weekend. They set slow fractions and counted on a horse wearing blinkers to know he had an oncoming monster. Had the Classic been run on the turf, their tactics might have made sense, on the dirt it was the height of foolishness. Arrogate is a beast of a colt, they should never have taken him for granted.

damn skippy.

AnnaNicolesDeathbed That's no excuse, it was the Breeders Cup a very important race worth 6.2 million. But your right it was a big let down especially with Chrome and Flintshire both finishing second in the Classic and Turf. The distaff wasn't bad tho.

You do realize even when a horse makes a run they are slowing down in the lane not speeding up?

Larry Burndorf Not really, the stretch drive is usually when a racehorse accelerates the most other then leaving the starting gate. If you want me to go all anatomy of a horse and such go on ahead but I know what I'm talking about. Plus, does it look like they are slowing down at the top of the stretch? Hell no....!

AnnaNicolesDeathbed Idk, I never saw it live. But I don't think so, but Arrogate, Tourist, and Beholder weren't big upsets. Most I can see any of the winners being is 3-1 or 2-1 maybe even less.

AnnaNicolesDeathbed Talk about it, it's been a big let down, especially with Chrome. Even Stellar Wind never got to run her race either, terrible start and was never there. If these horses meet again in the 12 million Pegasus World Cup in January, that will decide and prove a lot of unknowns in all of these horses.

Yep, two three year old freaks in two years for Bob Baffert.

Norm V ARROGATE is a huge horse! I am going to assume once he got into gear very late with that long stride? It was why he won. Super talented

John Kaufmann the stamina he has like Smith said is incredible.

John Kaufmann dont forget the 3 pound advantage and more time off... but What a Race

oo ee Which is designed to make them equal, Arrogate dug down and found more, Chrome got caught flat footed.

AnnaNicolesDeathbed Arrogate is still a three year old and still maturing. Older horses are supposed to be better.

Gel B C.C is a horse with too much lucky. Why not have a Match between American Pharoah and Cali Crhome? because they (owner) need create a big show for any race. look, the slogan has... The star come back to Hollywood. and one simple horse with a big haeart still the show... P.D: Shared belief was a better horse...

Well said Gel B !

jetshockey5 what? Too late? C.C no is a good speeder in the strech... He won because take too much advantadge in the pace.

+Gel B "He has done so much for men"?? What the hell does that mean??

That means that poor animal made so much money for his fucking men owners. He is an old horse. They run him for fucking so many races, because he is a champion. How do you like if someone make you work 100 hours every week for many years?

Exactlty u know horse racing. Mike started working arrogreat from far turn

LOL

You're absolutely right. I think Victor was overconfident.

Mike is cagey. Both horses ran their style of race. Mike just out maneuvered Victor.

I think Victor made his move too soon, and you can credit Smith with that move to the rail coming out of the turn. I think Victor was not ready for that - didn't see it and then reacted in a panic....,Smith just pummeled Arrogate in the stretch - that was ugly.

He's an awesome experienced jockey. Probably notices how Victor always looks around. where others don't....they just GOOOOOOO. So Mike had Victors number and a horse agile enough to change lanes FAST to trick Victor. LOL GREAT ride by Mike . I wish Chrome had won that though BUT we figured there would be a good fight to the finish. And there was. I love races like that. Both horses came out fine. both horses were beasts. Ran great races. Mike came out praying and smiling BIG , Baffert too......Victor looked confused in his after race interview. LOL He should know to GO and don't look back. Especially on Chrome. oh well. Done. Over with. Now to move on to Chromes last race. Amen.

I personally think Arrogate was better, his speed figures were higher than Chromes. This race was Chromes highest speed figure, he had to give everything he had to try and fight Arrogate off, but it wasn't enough. But hey we're all allowed to have our own opinions.

I know, his stride is massive. I was hugely skeptical of him after the Travers. I wanted to believe it as well, but there was no further stakes evidence to back it up. His backers were going on almost pure faith. After this, Arrogate is a total freaky beast. That makes two in consecutive years for Bob Baffert. If only Arrogate were ready for the TC series.

3 Breeder's Cup Classic wins in consecutive years, all with 3 year olds.

lavonna sanchez Remember when Mike Smith was aboard Shared Belief last year and went by him at 1 1/8...

I agree completely. Mike had Arrogate on the outside and then moved him to the rail and back to the outside to duel with Chrome. I really felt Victor lost track of where Arrogate was. In an interview after the race, Mike said he switched from left to right whip to tell Arrogate to go. I was happy for Mike"s win. He's one of my favorites. Love Chrome but I really expected Arrogate to win.

Lindsey Barnett thank you for this comment is for real. the one and only true...

Very true. Most times, CC just collapses when challenged.

I wouldn't even put Chrome in the top 50, or 75, tbh. He's a good horse, but it's taken him almost twice as long to accomplish what Curlin did.. And he hasn't even done that - he still has no BCC win.. That's just me, though.

SkyPanther... Curlin didnt beat anybody Talented... Now Ghoszapper

oo ee That isn't really the point. Curlin within his 4 year old career: Preakness, 2nd in Belmont, BCC win, effortless DWC win, 2 JCGCs, Haskell, 4th in BCC. Became America's highest earner since Cigar. California Chrome within 5 years: Derby, Preakness, 4th in Belmont, 2nd in Dubai, year off, DWC, and then again lost the BCC. America's highest earner since Curlin. So, being said.. He's accomplished all the same as Curlin, but it's taken him only twice as long.. And yet he still cannot capture a BCC win. ...Earnings don't really speak volumes. Citation was the first, then Cigar, then Curlin, and now CC.

Victor has to Blame Mike because They rode the Exact Same Race With Chrome and Sonbird

Omolatelae Coniah bullshit. Vic lost the race jacking around worring about other horses and waiting for arrogate. even when arrogate got close to him all vic had to do was float chrome out and make arrogate alter course.

Joseph Federico !Spectacular Race.. but to say no excuses is Wrong!! Arrogate had a 3 pound weight advantage, more Time off from Last Race and Less Traveling and Races...

You sound like Steve Coburn. Just because I said CC had no excuse doesn't mean he ran a bad race nor does it mean I think Arrogate is an overall better horse. It means nothing happened in the running of the race that adversely affected CC.

HELL YES!! I'm with you 100% brother. That talk makes me apoplectic. Pharoah at three was so far ahead of Chrome. It's nowhere close. Yeah, Chromies, CC at five ran similarly to Pharoah at three. A fully mature five year old Thoroughbred ran as well as an immature three year old. Bob Baffert is the luckiest man in racing. After surviving the widow-maker he now has back-to-back super freak three year olds. Wow. I'm just worried his heart can take it every time I see him at a big race.

your silly, they are just animals. chrome is a much more accomplished racehorse, you should be mad at the greed machine that retired AP, and stop balling about who is better ,we all know that is a futile discussion in the world of horse racing.

@Donald Jarvis III, both at their very best, I would've mortgaged the farm to bet that American Pharoah would've beaten California Chrome at the classic distance of 10f.

And that would've been the wisest bet you've ever made, two great colts, but AP was a superior three-year-old to CC, by a mile.

You might want to buy the Ragozin sheets on both and I promise you will change your mind!@@GBeret83

Cause he fell asleep

Switch halfway down and he keeps his lead

David Kent I can answer that! He was a late developer, and finally found his strides late this year. Honestly would've been scary to see what he could do in the triple crown...

David Kent he had shin problems as a 2 year old so they backed off him.

David Kent He had problems with shin splints. That is why he is a late bloomer. Thing is? And most fans know? It always seems a late blooming 3yo makes noise. All these 3yo early in the spring for the triple crown hardly ever around at this time of year. Most retired or injured. Only one left in the Breeders Cup was GUN RUNNER and they ran in the dirt mile

John Kaufmann so true

3 year old colt crop was pretty bad this year in my opinion. Arrogate was a nice late addition though and Gun Runner has been fairly consistent and seems to be getting better. Not sure if I'm more disappointed at the rest of the 3 year olds or the fact that their owners think they've established enough on the track to retire them so early.