Gun Runner Defeats Arrogate In Breeders’ Cup Classic

Those who were eager to proclaim Arrogate the greatest horse of all time will have a harder time making their case. Gun Runner defeated Arrogate in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Classic, a race promoted as the definitive contest between the two horses. Gun Runner was subsequently named 2017 Horse of the Year, won the 2018 Pegasus World Cup and then retired to stud.

The Battle of the Century

The rivalry invited comparisons with the famed match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral and generated substantial pre-race interest; that comparison is an editorial description rather than a measured ranking of all racing publicity. The two first met in the 2016 running of the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Gun Runner’s trainer Steve Asmussen had high hopes for his horse that day, but would watch in stunned silence as Arrogate won in dominant fashion while setting a track record. Arrogate then went on to capture the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup in Florida. Those victories began the talk that Arrogate was even better than Secretariat.

The two would meet a second time at Meydan Racecourse for the Dubai World Cup in March of 2017. Although the race was more competitive than their previous affair, Arrogate once again bested Gun Runner on a muddy track. Gun Runner was beaten but ran a creditable second, and many believed the wet track affected his chances to win. The stage was now set for a final meeting between the two horses in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar in November 2017.

For Arrogate the race shaped up as nothing less than a chance to validate the claims of greatness. For Gun Runner, winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic would be vindication for the two previous defeats. It would also call into question Arrogate’s own record as the all-time money leader. Many had pointed to the fact that Arrogate’s earnings were inflated by wins in the three richest races offered for thoroughbreds.

On November 4, 2017 the horses entered the starting gate at Del Mar with Gun Runner the favorite and Arrogate another prominent contender. Rounded pre-race prices should not be confused with final odds. Many thought the event was a two-horse race. As things turned out, it was Collected who stepped up to challenge Gun Runner while Arrogate could only manage a dead heat for fifth. Gun Runner led throughout and won by 2¼ lengths over Collected.

Mike Smith discussed the track surface as a possible factor in Arrogate’s performance. A jockey’s post-race assessment is an explanation to examine, not proof of the cause. Smith also rode Zenyatta when she finished second to Blame in the 2010 Classic, a separate race with different circumstances; that fact does not establish a habit of making excuses.

Gun Runner Rises to The Top

While Arrogate has been on a downward spiral ever since his win in Dubai, Gun Runner has continued to excel. It has been quite a ride for trainer Steve Asmussen and the owners of Gun Runner since the horse emerged as a strong threat in 2016. Gun Runner captured the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby.

The best was yet to come, however. Many thoroughbred race horses do not mature until their fourth year and this was the case with Gun Runner. At age four the horse won four major stakes events including the Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Handicap. Arrogate, on the other hand, was serving up less than par performances after the Dubai win. We will never know the full reason for Arrogate’s sudden decline. One could compare his rise and fall to that of Robert Griffin III in the NFL.

The original report recorded Gun Runner’s earnings after the 2017 Classic and discussed a possible Pegasus appearance. That uncertainty has since been resolved. Gun Runner won the January 2018 Pegasus World Cup and retired to stud. The National Museum of Racing profile records his completed career; a snapshot before his final race should not be presented as his lifetime total.

Gun Runner was named 2017 Horse of the Year in January 2018. The result is now historical rather than a prediction. Awards reflect a season’s assessment and are separate from one head-to-head meeting; the article should not presume the private feelings or expectations of another horse’s connections.

Gun Runner’s final race was the completed 2018 Pegasus World Cup event. Just create an account with a horse betting site. Check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. online racebook comparison for folks anywhere! It takes only a few minutes to sign up and you will receive a nice welcome bonus in addition to free past performances and race replays.

The rivalry in three meetings

Lifetime earnings reflect purse structures as well as performance. Comparing totals alone cannot establish the greatest horse across eras or jurisdictions. Use the specific race record, opposition, distance and timing, and keep a championship-season judgment separate from what occurred in any one meeting.