To be announced Saturday night, January 21th. To be determined on Saturday afternoon, January 28th.

That was the final line of a feature in these pages on the Eclipse Awards and the Pegasus World Cup when opinion in an envelope and fact on the racetrack collided over seven energetic days in the dead of winter.

Well, California Chrome was announced as Horse of the Year at the Eclipse Awards (full disclosure, I voted for Arrogate).

Seven days later, Arrogate officially changed the guard, toying with 11 rivals, including a spent California Chrome, in the first edition of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park.

Winning his sixth race in a row and third consecutive Grade 1 stakes race, Arrogate increased his earnings to over $11 million with a runaway win while California Chrome ended his career with an eased-up ninth in the Pegasus.

“It’s his only bad race he’s ever run for me,” trainer Art Sherman said.

Indeed, California Chrome posted his first off-the-board finish since fading to sixth in the 2014 Pennsylvania Derby.

In all, the California-bred son of Lucky Pulpit won 16 races from 27 starts and earned four Eclipse Awards, including two Horse of the Year titles.

The unheralded chesnut stormed on the scene, winning the Kentucky Derby in 2014, then every time he seemed vanquished, he came back for more, winning the Dubai World Cup and two additional Grade 1 races in 2016.

In a sport that can be top heavy, California Chrome put Sherman and an ever-evolving cast of owners at the top of the sport for four seasons. Score one for the little guys.

Now, score a big one for the big guys.

Representing the iconic Juddmonte Farm and Hall of Famers Bob Baffert and Mike Smith, Arrogate turned the lights on California Chrome’s going-away party with a facile score in the Pegasus.

Drawing the inside slot in the field of 12, Arrogate needed to break and hustle which Smith made sure of, smacking the grey son of Unbridled’s Song five times underhanded to establish a spot in third going into the first turn as Noble Bird and Neolithic hammered tent stakes on the front end.

California Chrome, breaking from the outside, slid into position in fourth, outside Arrogate. Smith and Arrogate took dirt along the fence, waiting and watching as Victor Espinoza boarded up the window to their outside.

Advantage California Chrome, but it didn’t last long.

For the first time since that Pennsylvania Derby loss, California Chrome couldn’t hold his position, he was already circling the drain as the field left the backside.

California Chrome’s departure put the ball on the tee and Arrogate swung. It was over as Arrogate ripped past Noble Bird and Neolithic to score by an eased-up four and three quarter lengths.

For Smith, it was just filling in the dots.

“I know I’ve got a horse, for such a young horse, who has a great demeanour, he has that natural ability, he’s got air that never seems to stop for some odd reason, it’s crazy, he’s got a turn of foot around those turns that’s unbelievable,” Smith said.

“This horse seems to have an extra it factor, what that is I can’t honestly tell you, but it’s stamina, the way he gets up underneath himself for such a big horse, he doesn’t get long on you, he gets those back legs way underneath you, there’s a lot of push.”

Asked if he can feel that push, Smith laughed.

“Oh yeah, he drops,” Smith said. “He’ll be long, lanky, just going along at that really good high cruising speed and you ask him, boy, it’s like bbbrrrrrrrrmmmmm, you start running downhill all of a sudden.”

Downhill for Arrogate. Uphill for the rest.