White Abarrio , the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Traditional (G1) winner, breezed at Gulfstream Park Dec. 8 for the primary time since making an attention-grabbing return from a 5 1/2-month layoff final month.
The 5-year-old son of Race Day breezed three furlongs in 37 seconds with the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream being the first objective.
White Abarrio, who returned to coach Saffie Joseph Jr.’s barn after back-to-back off-the-board finishes within the Saudi Cup (G1) and Metropolitan Handicap (G1), grew to become a chief candidate for the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus together with his dominating comeback victory Nov. 22. He stalked the early tempo earlier than drawing clear by 10 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong non-obligatory claiming allowance.
Though the Dec. 21 Harlan’s Vacation (G3), a 1 1/16 stakes for 3-year-olds and up, was being focused as a prep for the Pegasus, Joseph has determined to deliver White Abarrio again within the Mr. Prospector (G3), a seven-furlong stakes Dec. 28.
“That type of introduced him again in kind final 12 months—the [seven-furlong] allowance and the [one-turn] Met Mile,” Joseph mentioned. “It is a comparable factor. Two one-turn races again right into a two-turn race. It labored final 12 months.”
White Abarrio gained the 1 1/8-mile Whitney (G1) and 1 1/4-mile Traditional for coach Richard Dutrow off a pair of one-turn races.
White Abarrio, who’s owned by C2 Racing Secure LLC, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Antonio Pagnano, has a historical past of big-race success at Gulfstream, the place Joseph saddled him for a victory within the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) in 2022.
This press launch has been edited for content material and magnificence by BloodHorse Employees.
