White Abarrio, who won Gulfstream Park's richest race for 3-year-olds in capturing the $1 million Florida Derby (G1) in 2022, competes for an even more lucrative prize there in the Jan. 25 in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). Among his 11 rivals in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race are 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystic Dan, recent Cigar Mile (G2) winner Locked, 2023 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Saudi Crown, and White Abarrio's $3 million-earning stablemate Skippylongstocking.
White Abarrio, who races for owners C2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Antonio Pagnano, has often been at his best in seven-figure grade 1 contests. The season after taking the Florida Derby for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., he captured the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park, both when Richard Dutrow trained the gray or roan son of Race Day.
But after a pair of rear-half finishes in 2024, the horse's ownership returned White Abarrio to Joseph. In two starts since rejoining the Joseph stable, both at seven furlongs, he blew away outclassed allowance optional claiming foes by 10 1/4 lengths Nov. 22 at Gulfstream and then rallied to finish second behind multiple graded stakes winner Mufasa in the Dec. 28 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) after a slow start at the South Florida track.
A versatile performer, White Abarrio is effective when sprinting or racing as far as 1 1/4 miles.
"We're very happy with him," Joseph said. "He had an amazing work [Jan. 9]. He seems to be a horse who's giving all the signs that he's going into the race to run his best.
"Anytime you don't have to ship a horse and can run on your home track, I think it's an advantage. I definitely think running out of your stall is a plus. We're happy with where we're at. If everything continues to go well, I think he has a very good chance to win the Pegasus."
Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for his last six races, returns in the irons aboard the 3-1 second choice on the morning line. White Abarrio is well drawn in post 4 with a short run to the first of two turns.
Tyler Gaffalione rides Joseph's other entrant, Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking, who returns to action after a sixth-place finish in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar. A multiple graded stakes winner with multiple stakes placings in grade 1 company, he is in search of his first top-level stakes victory.
This marks his third start in the Pegasus. The son of Exaggerator was pulled up in last year's Pegasus and seventh in the 2023 edition. He drew post 10.
Mystik Dan, winless in three starts since his rail-skimming Kentucky Derby triumph, will attempt to bounce back from two disappointing outings in his most recent starts. After a solid runner-up finish behind Seize the Grey in the May 18 Preakness Stakes (G1), he ran a dull eighth in the June 8 Belmont Stakes (G1) and then was last of six when returning from more than a six-month layoff in the Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita.
The son of Goldencents had excuses for twice finishing unplaced, first appearing fatigued in the Belmont after competing in all three legs of the Triple Crown and then when sprinting in his comeback.
"That race in California we weren't thrilled with," McPeek said. "Maybe I'll take the bullet for that. It was a long trip to get him out there. It was a two-day trip, truckin' to California, and he didn't do well at that distance."
Like White Abarrio, Mystik Dan has trained swiftly this month, leaving trainer McPeek optimistic of a better performance from the earner of more than $4.1 million.
"Some horses go from being a good 3-year-old to a good older horse, and that's a challenge," he continued. "Will he transcend from a very good 3-year-old to a very good 4-year-old? The [Malibu] wasn't ideal. But it's a long year and we have several races to see where he fits. Hopefully, he comes back and proves himself as an older horse."
Brian Hernandez Jr., the regular rider of the Mystik Dan for owners 4 G Racing, Valley View Farm, Lance Gasaway, and Daniel Hamby III, is aboard. Drawn in post 9, Mystik Dan is 8-1 on the morning line.
Prior Pegasus World Cup-winning trainers Brad Cox, and Todd Pletcher have starters in Saturday's race. Pletcher saddles 5-2 morning-line favorite Locked (post 11), a grade 1 winner as juvenile in 2023 who is 2-for-2 since returning to action in the fall of 2024, plus 15-1 outsider Crupi. Cox starts the speedy Saudi Crown, a talented but inconsistent runner who was a quick winner of the Tenacious Stakes last month at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Saudi Crown, starting from post 3, is projected to start at odds of 9-2.
The Pegasus is one of seven graded races and 10 stakes overall with purses totaling $5.5 million on Saturday's program. NBC will provide television coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.
