Breeders' Cup 2016 Results: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish for Classic Race
Arrogate spoiled California Chrome's perfect season Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, as he came from behind to win the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic.
By virtue of the victory, Arrogate and jockey Mike Smith made Bob Baffert the first trainer to win the Classic in three consecutive years.
Here is a look at the full finishing order behind the dynamic performances of Arrogate and California Chrome:
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| 1 | 10 | Arrogate | Bob Baffert | Mike Smith |
| 2 | 4 | California Chrome | Art Sherman | Victor Espinoza |
| 3 | 3 | Keen Ice | Todd Pletcher | Javier Castellano |
| 4 | 9 | Hoppertunity | Bob Baffert | John Velazquez |
| 5 | 6 | Melatonin | David Hofmans | Joseph Talamo |
| 6 | 2 | Frosted | Kiaran McLaughlin | Joel Rosario |
| 7 | 1 | Effinex | James Jerkens | Flavien Prat |
| 8 | 7 | War Story | Mario Serey Jr. | Scott Spieth |
| 9 | 5 | Win The Space | George Papaprodromou | Gary Stevens |
The following is a breakdown of how the win, place and show horses paid out Saturday:
| Arrogate | $5.40 | $2.80 | $2.60 |
| California Chrome | --- | $2.60 | $2.40 |
| Keen Ice | --- | --- | $5.80 |
The overarching opinion entering the Classic was that it would be a two-horse battle between Arrogate and California Chrome, and that was undoubtedly the case.
As seen in this video of the race from NBC Sports on Twitter, Chrome jumped out front, only for Arrogate to reel him in and win by just a half-length:
Jeremy Balan of BloodHorse.com suggested a tactical error by jockey Victor Espinoza may have contributed to California Chrome's defeat:
Arrogate has now won five straight races after starting his career earlier this year with a third-place result.
Saturday's loss was the first of the year for California Chrome, who was 6-0 in 2016 after a disappointing 2015. He won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2014.
Despite the narrow defeat, though, Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form still considers California Chrome the Horse of the Year:
None of the other seven horses who started were anywhere near the same level as Arrogate and California Chrome, which is what the bettors and prognosticators expected.
Their battle was so captivating that it likely won't be long before there are whispers about a potential rematch.
In fact, Mike Welsch of Daily Racing Form laid out a possibility:
California Chrome entered Saturday with a long run of perfection, and while he ran an excellent race in the Classic, Arrogate was slightly better.
The experience gap between Arrogate and California Chrome was immense, but Arrogate has already established himself as one of the best horses in the world.
Espinoza may do some things differently if he and California Chrome get another crack at Arrogate in the future, and there is no question that horse racing fans everywhere will push for another meeting between them.
Post-Race Reaction
Arrogate became the most lightly raced horse to ever win the Breeders' Cup Classic, which led Baffert to acknowledge he didn't expect to win the race, according to BloodHorse.com:
Although Arrogate got plenty of love from handicappers, California Chrome was the favorite on the strength of his strong 2016 and remarkable overall body of work.
Despite the loss, California Chrome trainer Art Sherman maintained a positive outlook, per Racing UK:
He was also quite matter of fact about the result, according to Sherman Racing Stables:
Espinoza will undoubtedly shoulder much of the blame after what was a questionable ride, and he second-guessed himself in the aftermath, per Ron Flatter of WFAN:
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