Magical place where legends come to make their name

If there’s a heaven on earth for Flat racing fans, it must be Santa Anita in Breeders’ Cup week. This grand old track, framed by the imposingly beautiful San Gabriel mountains, their tips often wreathed in early morning cloud, is not just one of the world’s most stunning racecourses but also home to an equine armada without equal.

Among the biggest stars this week is Arrogate, whose candidacy for the Breeders’ Cup Classic is based almost entirely on just one performance of blinding brilliance in the Travers at Saratoga. He has been among the biggest draws for the assembled media and fans who flock to the floodlit track in the purple pre-dawn.

Arrogate is trained by Bob Baffert, who has become the most recognisable trainer in the US, in part thanks to his handling of American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, and in part down to his distinctive mop of silvery hair and a flair for self-promotion.