Martin Garcia's comments June 24, even though they were clearly a playful jab at his Hall of Fame boss, were considered by many as blasphemy.
After Collected's 14-length romp in the 1 1/16-mile Precisionist Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park, the jockey and top exercise rider for trainer Bob Baffert spoke to the 4-year-old City Zip colt's potential to run 1 1/4 miles.
"I think he can go a mile and a quarter, but I don't think (Baffert) wants me to, because he might beat Arrogate," Garcia said with a wide smile in the Santa Anita winner's circle.
After the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (G1) Aug. 19 at Del Mar, it appears there may have been more behind the verbal jab than just playfulness. Video: $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic S. (G1)
The final furlong of the 10-furlong Classic was a battle of the stablemates. Juddmonte Farms' Arrogate, the 3-5 favorite, stalked the pace set by Speedway Stable's Collected in third through most of the race. Accelerate, who upset the gray champion last time out in the TVG San Diego Handicap (G2), was between them.
Collected put away Accelerate at the top of the lane, however, and Arrogate appeared all in under jockey Mike Smith. Arrogate kicked in late, as he's done plenty in the past, but he could not get past the determined Collected and Garcia, who celebrated the victory with an impassioned fist pump after the wire.
The final time was 2:00.70 and the margin was a half-length.
After Collected set fractions of :23.76, :47.19, and 1:11.06, while he maintained a half-length lead over Accelerate, Garcia said he felt Arrogate's presence in the final stages.
"I could feel a big animal coming behind me," Garcia said with a laugh. "(It was like) when you are in a little car and you can feel a big car coming. I could feel it, and I was praying I could hit the wire first."
Smith kept the favored gray engaged from the time the gate opened to the wire. He asked Arrogate at the start to get him into position, continued to encourage him with his hands the first time through the stretch and in the backstretch.
In the backstretch, it appeared as if a repeat of Arrogate's off-the-board San Diego result might be in order, as Collected and Accelerate began to kick away, but Smith kept working in the final turn. As the distance increased, Arrogate strengthened, but he still had 2 1/2 lengths to make up with a furlong to run, and could not close the deficit entirely.
"If he just improves a little bit, we'll be all right," Smith said. "He was a lot better today than last time—just not good enough."
"Arrogate—at least he tried today," Baffert said. "He's getting there, but I think that when I ran him in the San Diego it messed up his psyche a little bit. I don't think I have a problem bringing him back in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). But he's got to be fresh, just like Collected came in here fresh. And Collected is a very good horse."
For Speedway Stable owner Peter Fluor, winning the Pacific Classic was sweet enough, but knowing Arrogate fired made it a bit sweeter.
"If you ask for a dream trip, it was that Collected wins and Arrogate shows up," Flour said. "I told Bob before the race, 'I hope you run 1-2, but I have a preference.'"
When asked after the race whether he felt Arrogate was still the best horse in the world, however, Baffert did not hesitate.
"I still think he is. ... I was really proud of Arrogate. At the end he was laying it down," Baffert said.
Accelerate held third, 3 3/4 lengths behind Arrogate, and was another 6 1/2 lengths clear of fourth-place finisher Curlin Road. Hard Aces, Royal Albert Hall, and Donworth completed the order of finish.
"He had pressure from both sides today and I had to use him a little bit more early," said Accelerate's jockey, Victor Espinoza. "That probably cost us, but he ran big."
With his first grade 1 win, Collected now has more than $1.2 million in earnings to go along with his eight wins from 11 starts. He's undefeated in four starts in 2017, including previous stakes scores in the Santana Mile, Californian (G2), and the Precisionist. Bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm and Peter Callahan, out of the Johannesburg mare Helena Bay (GB), Speedway Stable purchased Collected for $170,000 at the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March sale of 2-year-olds in training.
While Baffert left the door open for Collected to run in a race between the Pacific Classic and the Breeders' Cup Classic, the trainer indicated Arrogate would train up to the Breeders' Cup, which is back at Del Mar in early November.
