Premature death of Arrogate leaves an almighty hole in Juddmonte's US roster

Arrogate’s untimely death on Tuesday is a major blow to Juddmonte’s US stallion operation, with the highest-earning North American racehorse in history having retired as one of the most exciting sire prospects to stand at the farm.

He retired to Juddmonte’s Kentucky farm for the 2018 breeding season and covered an illustrious book of 145 mares at a fee of $75,000. Of those mares, 88 per cent were stakes performers or producers and a quarter of his book were Grade 1 winners or producers.

Arrogate’s resulting crop of 107 foals includes a filly out of two-time champion Songbird and a colt out of Juddmonte’s multiple Grade 1-winning $1.5m earner Paulassilverlining.

His progeny realised up to $425,000 as weanlings for just seven lots offered, with that price paid for the three-parts sister to Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue. Offered by Gainesway for Bonne Chance Farm, the filly was sold to McMahon and Hill Bloodstock at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

One of 22 Grade 1 winners for his sire Unbridled’s Song, sired in his penultimate crop of 2013, Arrogate was bred by Clearsky Farms, run by brothers Bernard and Eamonn Cleary.

Arrogate is the first foal out of the multiple stakes-winning Bubbler, a granddaughter of one of the US’s best ever juvenile fillies in Meadow Star. Irish-born Eamon Cleary, the late father of Bernard and Eamonn, acquired Bubbler for $170,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale at the end of her racing career. Juddmonte Farms went to $560,000 to secure Arrogate at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2014.

In 2016, Bubbler was offered in foal to Into Mischief at at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale the day after Arrogate’s success in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Despite bringing a final bid of $4.7 million, she was led out unsold and returned home to Clearsky Farm.

The resulting mating produced a filly named Immediate Impact who won her only start for Bob Baffert last year.

Bubbler’s three runners to date are completed by the Listed-winning Osare, who retired last year to begin her own breeding career. Bubbler also has a two-year-old filly by Tapit, who was signed for as a foal at $750,000 by Clearsky Farms and Rac 04 Racing.

Arrogate also made an impact with the 22 mares sold in-foal to him, with highlights including Maggie McGowan, dam of Grade 1 Triple Bends Stakes winner Denman’s Call selling for $775,00 to SF Bloodstock.

From his second book, dual Graded-winning producer Totally Tucker realised $750,000 to Woodford Thoroughbreds.

Officially crowned the World’s Best Racehorse in 2016 and 2017, the world was Arrogate’s oyster at stud. His astonishing performances at three and four captured horseracing fans the world over and he will be a sorely missed member of the US stallion ranks.

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