SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The presence of Arcangelo in Saturday’s 154th Travers Stakes at Saratoga elicits memories of his sire, Arrogate, and what he did in this same race seven years ago. An unknown quantity to many before that day, Arrogate announced himself to the world as a rare talent with a record-setting, 13 1/2-length victory in Saratoga’s marquee event. He ran 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.36, the fastest time at that distance at this historic venue which began racing in 1863. “That’s the way a track record is supposed to be broken,” Bob Baffert, who trained Arrogate for Juddmonte Farm, said this week. “He was phenomenal that day.” Arrogate went on to be phenomenal in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic and the following year’s Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup. His brief, but brilliant career was honored earlier this summer with enshrinement into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Arrogate died in June 2020, due to an illness that led to neurological issues. Arrogate lost his first race in April 2016 before winning twice in 20 days in June. He entered the Travers off a second-level allowance win against just two rivals 23 days earlier. In a Travers field of 13, following one scratch, Arrogate was sent off at 11-1. His stablemate, American Freedom, coming off a runner-up finish to Preakness winner Exaggerator in the Haskell, was sent off the 5-1 second choice in the Travers behind Exaggerator. A few days before the Travers, Baffert recalled meeting with analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss, who were there to cover the race for NBC. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. “The gray horse is why I’m here,” Baffert said he told Bailey and Moss. “They didn’t pick up on it; they were like everybody else – he’s not going to make the lead, he’s going to have traffic in a big field.” Leading into the Travers, Baffert had a dilemma regarding a rider. Rafael Bejarano had been the regular rider of both Arrogate and American Freedom. Gary West, owner of American Freedom, was adamant about keeping Bejarano on his horse. Baffert ultimately picked Mike Smith to ride Arrogate. “Right before we shipped, Bejarano was telling him ‘This is a really good horse, we never really let him run, and he’s going to love a mile and a quarter,’ ” Baffert recalled. Arrogate drew the rail for the Travers, American Freedom post 2. Baffert recalled West telling him that he didn’t want American Freedom to be on the lead. “Don’t worry, he won’t be,” Baffert told West. From the rail, Baffert felt Arrogate had to go. Smith hustled Arrogate away from the gate, but they were actually third coming under the wire the first time, with Laoban and American Freedom slightly ahead of him. :: Visit the Saratoga Handicapping Store for Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Picks, Betting Strategies, and more. Entering the first turn, Arrogate had made his way to the front, running a quarter in 23.83 seconds and a half-mile in 46.85. American Freedom was within a half-length of Arrogate after six furlongs in 1:10.85. Baffert said he remembered his wife, Jill, saying too him “He’s going too fast.” “But he’s doing it easy,” Baffert said. “When they turned for home, here comes American Freedom. [Arrogate] straightens out and he catches another gear that I didn’t know he had. He takes off and I’m like ‘Wow!’ This horse had never been let run before. He came back and Mike goes ‘You were right about this horse, he can really run.’ ” Baffert also recalled a brief conversation he had with Juddmonte president Dr. John Chandler, who attended the Travers in part because Garrett O’Rourke, Juddmonte’s general manager, had a family wedding to attend that day. “He comes up to me before the race and said, ‘The pressure’s on, you told Garrett this horse can’t lose,’ ” Baffert said. “It was cool because when you see the Juddmonte colors, they’re the most famous colors in racing and to be part of that was great.” Ironically, Arrogate did in the Travers what many people thought Baffert’s Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, was going to do the previous year. But American Pharoah was upset that day by Keen Ice. “He came along at the right time,” Baffert said of Arrogate. “I had American Pharoah, we were in depressed mode that year – the excitement’s over, I’ll never have another one like that, and he comes along and does something like that.” Arcangelo is from Arrogate’s second of what would only be three crops. Arrogate had not yet produced much when Arcangelo went through the auction ring in September 2021 where he brought only $35,000. Jon Ebbert, remembering the brilliance of Arrogate and believing this horse looked a lot like him, purchased Arcangelo. Arcangelo debuted last December and ran a respectable second rallying widest of all after being last early on a sealed sloppy Gulfstream Park track. He had a traffic-filled trip when fourth in his second start. In March, with Javier Castellano aboard for the first time, Arcangelo overcame a slow start to win a one-mile maiden race by 3 1/2 lengths in a swift 1:34.82. Jena Antonucci, the trainer of Arcangelo, believes he inherited his cruising speed from his father. “Arrogate had that, not just here [in the Travers], but everywhere,” Antonucci said. “I think that dynamic-ness and that versatility of [Arcangelo’s] cruising speed comes through from the sire side. “We’ve always known he’s fast and we’ve always been very respectful of that with him. I think you saw it when he broke his maiden, it was one of the fastest miles of the winter. That race was sneaky good.” :: Bet the races with a $250 First Deposit Match + $10 Free Bet and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. In winning the Grade 3 Peter Pan, Arcangelo displayed tenacity, getting hooked up in a three-sixteenths of a mile stretch duel to beat favored Bishops Bay by a head. In the Belmont, Arcangelo displayed his stamina, rallying along the inside to beat a wide-rallying Forte by 1 1/2 lengths. “I think he continues to get stronger and figure his job out more,” Antonucci said. “I don’t know that we’ve seen the best of him yet, fortunately and amazingly.” The Baffert-trained National Treasure, the Preakness winner, will be one of Arcangelo’s rivals in the Travers. He finished sixth, 7 1/4 lengths behind Arcangelo in the Belmont. Baffert knows Arcangelo will be more than formidable in the Travers. “I think [Antonucci’s] done a great job of managing him, taking her time with him,” Baffert said. “He’s going to get better with age. He has speed, and the distance is not going to be a problem for him.” Like father, like son. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.