Owner Jon Ebbert's Blue Rose Stable could not have been more aptly named with its star performer, a $35,000 yearling purchase, attempting to achieve what seemed impossible in the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1). Blue roses don't occur naturally, so they symbolize the unattainable. And that's how it appeared for the stable's Arcangelo , who didn't appear to be the one to take down a champion and a Preakness Stakes (G1) winner at Belmont Park.
Ebbert, however, saw potential in the then-immature son of Arrogate at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and never lost faith.
Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto, the gray or roan May foal out of the unraced Tapit mare Modeling hailed from one of the most successful family's in the American stud book—his third dam is 2007 Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour. When he was sold as a yearling, however, he was a sibling to one winner and on the small side. Also, his now-deceased sire had his first crop of juveniles hitting the track, and with two placed runners when the catalog was printed, buyers were still unsure what Arrogate would become as a stallion.
Arrogate held an average of $136,583 and a median price of $97,500 for the 36 yearlings sold during the Keeneland sale.
The yearling, sold as Hip 1182 during Book 3 at Keeneland, also had some other issues that led to his modest price. He had a case of sesamoiditis, which is less of an issue with buyers going on to the races instead of planning to pinhook as a 2-year-old. He happened to be a ridgling, too.
"Someone was showing the colt, I was walking by, and a light bulb went off; I thought, 'Wow, he's going to be an amazing older horse.' I thought he would mature a little later than he did," Ebbert recalled. "The last few months, he has really grown up. I didn't think he'd mature this quickly. Breeders Cup 2024—was my plan because I thought it would be a long project. He was a project, but I feel like he put on 100 pounds of muscle over the last few months."
All of these earlier concerns about the small Arrogate ridgling at Keeneland vanished in the stretch of Belmont Park where Ebbert's project overcame the impossible to deliver his first grade 1 win.
"He had a great neck and shoulder and was an attractive horse. He had a little maturing to do, yet through his hind end, he had a lot of Tapit influence to him," consignor Brian Graves commented. "Arrogate was cold then, and the result was not a commercial home run."
Graves added: "What makes this business so great is that the commercial market doesn't always determine what can be a great racehorse. Jena and Jon found a diamond in the rough, and Gainesway is very proud to have sold this nice horse for Don Alberto."
Byron King contributed to this story.
