SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — During a pre-season interview in early July, coach Chad Brown suggested another colt — at the time, with a low profile — for a discussion of the prospects. by GI Travers: Zandon (Start up), Early voting (Gunman) and Jack Christopher (Munnings).
“I have a late stallion, a stallion named Artorius (Arrogate), which I really like. “He will run in Curlin Deposits. Like his father, he is a latecomer. I’m not saying he’s a threat to win the Travers, but I’ll tell you: he races lightly and he’s very good. And his mother is very nice, Paulassilverlines (Ghostzapper), who won two Is class for us. Obviously, the Arrogate is a great racehorse that I have not trained. He is very well bred. He’s our favorite horse all winter. He just started a little late.”
Seven weeks into the next day, Artorius, will participate on Tuesday with Zandon and Early Voting in Travers, will take place for the 153rd time on Saturday. Next up is the third favorite in GI Haskell S. On July 23, Jack Christopher returned to the distance sprinting in the seven-step GI H. Allen Jerkens on Travers.
Artorius thoroughly confirms Brown’s assessment that he is Travers quality with a score of 4 3/4 length in 1 1/8 mile ungraded Curlin July 29. He has continued to train well, most recently: 47.00 half-mile on Saturday, and like his famous dad did in 2016, will make his first appearance. his graded stake in Travers.
In his fifth career kickoff, Arrogate (The Song of the Unbridled) made Saratoga history for coach Bob Baffert in 2016 with a bet and course achievement of 1:59.36 for post Travers 1/4 mile. He broke the 2:00 record set by the General Assembly in 1979 on a very wet track. Travers was the launching pad for Arrogate, who passed away in 2020 during his third season at the school. He followed those 13 1/2-long Travers points with wins in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, GI Pegasus World Cup and GI Dubai World Cup. The week of victory at Pegasus in the much-anticipated match against California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) never materialized, he won the Eclipse Award as the 3-year-old men’s champion.
Brown says Artorius has typical problems in his 2-year-old shin in 2021 and has another problem that has delayed him to the races. He made a slow break in his first start on April 16 in a six-lap race at Keeneland and finished second. The first player appeared in the one-mile at Belmont Park on June 10 and he continued that with an easy nine-point win at Curlin.
“He’s doing great,” Brown said. “His last race was fantastic, the first race was about two turns. I feel very satisfied about that. “
Brown admitted that it was a big ask to send Artorius into the Travers against a successful field that was headed by GI Kentucky Derby Rich Strike winner. His Stable Friends Vote Early, GI Preakness S. winner Zandon, third in the Derby after winning GI Blue Grass S. will be at the gate, along with Epicenter (Not this time), came second in the Derby and Preakness and GII winner Jim Dandy, and GI Arkansas Derby and GI Haskell winner Cyberknife (Gunman).
“I had to lift him up. He sounded like he was willing to do it,” Brown said. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anything to affect his development by doing that. Yes, it was a really tough race, but he had a great run on this track, albeit against fewer horses than he would have encountered in Travers. He did it the right way and got out of it the right way. Travers is a once in a lifetime for a horse to try. You only get one shot to run in it when you’re three. So if they’re doing well and their numbers look like they’re on the right track, organize a race on the track, which in this particular case could be beneficial, and a motorist. jockey leading horseback riding, you “had to shoot.”
Juddmonte purchased Paulassilverling from breeder owner Vincent Scuderi before her 5-year-old season in 2017 and passed her on to Brown. She quickly won the GI Madison and the GI Humana Distaff. Artorius was her first pony.
“He’s not really big now,” Brown said. “He is the size of his mother more than his father, but he is a good mix of the two. He has the stamina and mobility of his father, who moves like a cat. His mother is a smaller person, not the best motivator, but has a lot of heart. When you breed the best of the best, you hope for the best. This horse has a good mix of the two, which is something you really hope for in many cases when you’re crossbreeding a Class I horse with a Class I horse.”
An hour or so after Artorius worked on multiple GI (Flater) Winner Search Results on Saturday, Brown says he’s sure the pony has the physics tools for Travers and just it’s a matter of time whether he will make it into the race for Saratoga’s signature.
“It was not a surprise at all. We always thought he was talented enough,” Brown said. “I’ll use the word ‘relieved’ that he can do it. There is a small percentage chance that he can advance this fast. We know he’s capable, but things still happen. Horses take backward steps, don’t they? Horses don’t always run the way you think they will. For him to really hit all the points and really get there, the only way is if everything goes the way it is. Everything is going well with his works, the space and weather, the health of the horse. Everything is there for this horse. I felt relieved. We gave it a hit to put him on the road here and he hit it. “
