Gun Runner claims Breeders’ Cup Classic as Arrogate falters

Gun Runner stamped himself America’s horse of the year Saturday with adominant victory in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic as defendingchampion Arrogate disappointed.The Steve Asmussen-trained Gun Runner, who has gone from strength tostrength since he was bested by Bob Baffert’s Arrogate in the DubaiWorld Cup in March, leapt to the front out of the gate.With jockey Florent Geroux aboard, he held off a challenge from Collected, beating the Baffert-trained colt by 2 1/4 lengths.Another Baffert-trained 3-year-old, West Coast, was third. “He knows whohe is, and he accepts it, and he feels up to it all the time,” Asmussensaid of Gun Runner. “The confidence that he gives you is unbelievable.”Asmussen said he had no qualms at seeing Gun Runner take an early lead, even though front-runners hadn’t fared well this week.“We let Gun Runner be who he is,” Asmussen said. “The year that he hasput together, the races that he has run, the way that he has come backfrom them, the way that he trained leading into this race is special.“The year that this horse has put together is a little hard to top. I think he’s better today than he has ever been.”That’s something Baffert couldn’t say of Arrogate, who has failed to impress in two defeats since his triumph in Dubai.“He’s just not the horse he was,” Baffert admitted of Arrogate, who gaveBaffert a third straight Classic win at Santa Anita last year. Arrogatetook his record career earnings to $17.4 million with a dead heat forfifth with Gunnevera, behind War Story. But he left jockey Mike Smithand Baffert puzzling over his seeming inability to get to grips with theDel Mar dirt track, with Baffert saying the trouble was likely deeper.“He’s just losing interest and I think that’s what it is,” Baffert said.“He has run so many incredible races that I really think he’s justlosing interest. That’s what it is,” he said again. “It’s time (for himto retire).”The 1 1/4-mile Classic capped a two-day, 13-race Breeders’ Cup program worth $28 million.While the showpiece turned into a showcase for US runners – AidanO’Brien’s Churchill was the top European finisher in seventh – atrans-Atlantic contingent of more than 30 horses found cause tocelebrate over the two days. Living legendAndre Fabre, the 27-time champion trainer in France, saddled Talismanicfor a convincing victory in the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf.“The man is a living legend,” Godolphin chief executive Joe Osborne saidof the 71-year-old Fabre. “He has got Breeders’ Cups, Classics, GroupOnes.“He’s just a master trainer and trained this horse perfectly. So, it’sjust a great result for us by our stallion, and bred by us andeverything. So it just ticks all the boxes.”Wuheida, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, won the Filly & Mare Turf.On Friday, Ireland’s O’Brien extended his record of Group/Grade One victories in a calendar year with his 27th as Mendelssohn won the Juvenile Turf. A strong European challenge wasdenied in the $2 million Mile on the turf track, won by the MarkCasse-trained World Approval.The gray gelding, ridden by John Velazquez, ran down the leaders in thefinal stages to beat O’Brien’s Lancaster Bomber by 1 1/4 lengths.At 5-2, he was a rare favourite to come in a winner on a day that sawBar of Gold, priced at 66-1, win the Filly & Mare Sprint and 30-1shot Stormy Liberal win the Turf Sprint.Stormy Liberal gave local trainer Peter Miller a first Breeders’ Cupwinner, and Miller soon had another when Roy H triumphed in the Sprinton dirt.Trainer Chad Brown was a two-time winner on the week as well, his GoodMagic taking the $2 million Juvenile after Rushing Fall won the JuvenileFillies Turf on Friday.