ARCADIA (UNITED STATES) - Arrogate ran down California Chrome strides from the wire to win the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.
Arrogate ridden by jockey Mike Smith races to the finish against California Chrome ridden by jockey Victor Espinoza during the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park
"I thought there was no chance turning for home that he could catch Chrome," admitted Arrogate trainer Bob Baffert, who claimed a third straight Breeders' Cup Classic crown.
But jockey Mike Smith -- who stretched his record tally of Breeders' Cup victories to 25 -- said the result showed the "relentless" nature of the three-year-old Arrogate, who had dazzled in a 13 1/4-length victory at the Travers Stakes in August.
California Chrome won hearts in winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2014, when he fell short of a Triple Crown with a fourth place in the Belmont.
He had enjoyed a stellar five-year-old campaign, coming into the 1 1/4-mile Classic unbeaten in six starts in 2016.
Breaking from the fourth post with jockey Victor Espinoza aboard, California Chrome went off at odds of 4-5.
He looked to have turned back Arrogate's challenge at the top of the stretch but the challenger, running against older horses for the first time, pushed through to win by half a length.
Keen Ice, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Javier Castellano, was third, 10 3/4 lengths back.