With a fantastic final kick, Arrogate grabbed the 2016 Breeders' Cup Classic away from California Chrome on Saturday evening in Arcadia, California.The event was largely billed as a two-horse race between Arrogate and California Chrome, and the pair didn't disappoint at Santa Anita Park.The Breeders' Cup's official Twitter account shared a replay of the race:Below are the full results:California Chrome enjoyed the better start. Jockey Victor Espinoza opted to have the run out to the lead early, and he held that position for the bulk of the race. Melatonin was able to keep pace, running close behind California Chrome until roughly the final quarter-of-a-mile.Once Melatonin fell back, that allowed California Chrome and Arrogate to engage in a dramatic head-to-head sprint to the finish. The gap between the two narrowed as the Classic rounded the final turn.Mike Smith smartly decided against exhausting the colt's stamina too soon and ensured he had enough to challenge the leader down the final stretch.It looked like the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner was going to be able to hold off the challenger. However, he was powerless to stop Arrogate from surging ahead on the outside. The race more than lived up to the hype.BloodHorse's Jeremy Balan wondered if Espinoza could've done more to put California Chrome in a position to win:"Thinking back, I should have let him run a little early," Espinoza said, according to TwinSpires.com's Ron Flatter. "But he ran a big race."California Chrome trainer Art Sherman didn't have any regrets with how the Classic played out."We saw two champions run," he said, per Racing UK. "What can I say' We got outrun. We've no excuses. He ran his eyeballs out."The result puts a slight damper on an otherwise excellent 2016 for California Chrome. He entered Santa Anita Park on a six-race winning streak.Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form argued California Chrome remains the strongest contender for horse of the year and that Arrogate has jumped to the front of the line for top honors among three-year-olds.Arrogate burnished his reputation with a dominant win in the Travers Stakes in August, and that was largely his coming-out party. Saturday's race at Santa Anita was affirmation for those who believed Arrogate deserved to be mentioned with the best in the sport.
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