Advertising Read more

Del Mar (United States) (AFP)

Bob Baffert, who sends Arrogate out Saturday in search of a second straight Breeders' Cup triumph, admits Gun Runner is the horse to beat in the $6 million showpiece of the flat racing extravaganza.

"Gun Runner should love it," Baffert said of the colt trained by Steve Asmussen, who has won three successive grade one stakes since a runner-up finish to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup in March.

He said the tight track at Del Mar Racetrack, hosting the Breeders' Cup for the first time in the seaside town north of San Diego, should suit Gun Runner's speed.

"Gun Runner is the horse to beat," Baffert said.

Arrogate is one of the best dirt horses in recent decades. In Dubai, he overcame a slow start that saw him last at the first turn, but ran down Gun Runner for the win.

Since then, however, he has been unimpressive in a fourth place and runner-up finish in races at Del Mar.

"I think a lot of it is the way I prepared him," Baffert said of Arrogate's 15 1/4-length setback in the San Diego Handicap on July 22. "I take the blame for him getting beat the first time. The second time, it looked like he wasn't going to run and all of a sudden he started running at the end.

"I think he should run well," Baffert added of Arrogate, who was installed as the early 2-1 second choice behind 9-5 Gun Runner after drawing the rail for the 1 1/4-mile Classic.

But Gun Runner's connections are confident.

"He's really matured very nicely," jockey Florent Geroux said of the four-year-old. "Sometimes they get better from two to three and them from three to four and he did -- he really got bigger, stronger and faster from three to four and you can see that in his races. He has more speed now, but you can do what you want with it. He keeps you out of trouble and he has plenty of stamina."

Baffert's challenge to Gun Runner isn't limited to Arrogate. He also saddles Collected -- winner of the 1 1/4 mile Pacific Classic on the same Del Mar main track -- Mubtaahij, and West Coast, an impressive three-year-old that Baffert said might have what it takes.

"I've won with three-year-olds, and he looks good," said Baffert, who won the last three Classics with three-year-old colts in Bayern (2014), American Pharoah (2015) and Arrogate (2016).

- O'Brien eyes Classic -

Aiming to upset the US stars, Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien vies to end his 0-for-14 drought in the Classic as he saddles Churchill and War Decree.

"I don't ever try and win any race because all we can do is our best to win a race," said O'Brien, who arrives stateside having broken the world record Group/Grade One victories in a calendar year with 26.

"We take the races as the horses come and they are tough races. We're just lucky to have a couple horses to run in it again."

The two Classic entries -- part of a 14-strong contingent for O'Brien -- cleared quarantine and cantered on the Del Mar track on Thursday.

Churchill hasn't tasted victory since following up his Newmarket Classic win at the Curragh, but O'Brien said his third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot this month was, in fact, an encouraging performance.

"He did not get the greatest of runs and got stopped twice over a furlong out," O'Brien said. "We were very pleased with that performance."

© 2017 AFP