MORRISTON, FL (352today.com) – Arthur’s Ride is set to bring his storied lineage and years of dedicated training to the national stage this Saturday at the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The 4-year-old colt is owned by Glassman Racing LLC.  He was bred by Joe and Helen Barbazon’s Pleasant Acres Stallions and the Tapit Syndicate. Named after owner Karl Glassman’s late father, Arthur’s Ride is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, with jockey Junior Alvarado riding in Saturday’s race at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, California. The race will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock, with a 5:41 p.m. post time on Nov. 2.

Arthur’s Ride was sired by Tapit, one of the racing world’s leading sires, and Points of Grace, the champion Canadian grass mare of 2009. His half-sister, Victory to Victory, claimed the title of Canadian 2-year-old champion filly in 2016, making Arthur’s Ride part of a family legacy of success. Yet his early days offered little hint of his potential.

“We love the breeding,” said Helen Barbazon, who started Pleasant Acres Stallions with her husband in 1983. “He was a chestnut foal. He was a red roan and nice looking, but long-legged and lanky, not as stout and as big as a baby.”

At the sale, the Barbazons mentioned that Arthur’s Ride was still developing as an athlete and didn’t have the qualities some buyers were looking for at that moment.

“When we took him to the sale, people like to see speed. He just didn’t have that,” Helen explained.  “He needed to grow into himself. He was a little awkward and he was young, but he was always a good horse. He has a good head on his shoulders.”

Arthur’s Ride, a 4-year-old Florida-bred colt owned by Glassman Racing LLC and bred by Pleasant Acres Stallions and the Tapit Syndicate, will compete in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2. Courtesy: Helen Barbazon
Florida-bred Arthur’s Ride, a 4-year-old colt bred by Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, will compete in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday. Originally chestnut, his coat has now changed to roan. Courtesy: Helen Barbazon
Arthur’s Ride, a 4-year-old colt bred by Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, was originally chestnut as a foal but is now gray. He will compete in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.Courtesy: Helen Barbazon

Winning the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga this August was a pivotal moment, marking his first stakes victory. The win was all the more significant considering his 3-year-old season was interrupted by a series of setbacks. After a prolonged recovery with hoof and soft-tissue rehabilitation under Dr. Barry and Shari Eisaman’s care at Eisaman Equine in Williston, he returned stronger than ever.

“We went to the Jockey Club Gold Cup in New York, and he didn’t win there. He was ahead most of the way and he just got tired,” Helen Barbazon said. “It was great to see him and to meet the owners – who are wonderful people. He was on the [Kentucky] Derby trail when he was younger, then something happened. His owners gave him a year off. I can’t thank them enough for doing that. He got stronger in my opinion. I can’t be more thrilled.”

Now matured and ready, Arthur’s Ride heads into the Breeders’ Cup Classic representing not just his owners and trainers but the dedication and high standards of the Pleasant Acres breeding program.