Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said the return of grade 1 winner White Abarrio to his barn last June "healed me." Now, thoroughly enjoying the horse's stakes success seven months later, the 38-year-old trainer has the right to feel like an entirely new man.
On Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park, the Joseph-trained White Abarrio blitzed the opposition in the $2,945,400 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), defeating slow-starting favorite Locked by 6 1/4 lengths. His winning time for 1 1/8 miles on dirt in 1:48.05 was the fastest Pegasus since Knicks Go was clocked in 1:47.89 in kicking off his Horse of the Year campaign in the race in 2021.
The Pegasus gave White Abarrio a fourth grade 1 victory following the 2023 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park, the 2023 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, and the 2022 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream, though only the latter top-level triumph came for Joseph. Richard Dutrow Jr. trained the horse to win the Breeders' Cup Classic and Whitney Stakes.
Dutrow became White Abarrio's trainer in the spring of 2023 due to eligibility concerns for Joseph in Kentucky and New York after two of Joseph's trainees collapsed and died mysteriously during Kentucky Derby (G1) week at Churchill Downs. An investigation that took a couple of months cleared Joseph of any rule violations, but with the horse doing well for Dutrow, White Abarrio's ownership did not make another trainer change.
But after a couple of rear-half finishes last year in the Feb. 24 Saudi Cup (G1) and later in the June 8 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga, White Abarrio's ownership of C 2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Antonio Pagnano sent him back to Florida-based Joseph. Joseph is the primary trainer for Mark and Clint Cornett's C 2 Racing Stable, with another elite performer being recently crowned 2024 champion female sprinter Soul of an Angel for C 2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable, and Ken Reimer.
Following the Metropolitan Handicap, Mark Cornett said, "I talked to Clint and the partners, and we decided, this is the perfect time to give the horse back to Saffie. Let's get him back down to Gulfstream to his home base, where we know he loves the circuit and this track down here."
Watch: An Emotional Joseph Reacts to Winning the Pegasus World Cup
For many stables, the barn star would be a horse like Soul of an Angel, last fall's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) upsetter. But in the Joseph barn, there is no doubt who is atop the class pecking order. It is White Abarrio, and he showed why Saturday afternoon before an enthusiastic crowd at Gulfstream Park and before a national television audience on NBC.
Racing in fifth, between two and three lengths off fractions of :23.43, :46.68, and 1:10.79 set by Saudi Crown, White Abarrio commenced his charge on the second turn, rapidly gaining on the leader. Heading into the stretch, with the two gray and/or roan runners distancing themselves from the other nine competitors, it appeared they could be set for a duel.
Instead, White Abarrio dominated through the lane, opening up two lengths on Saudi Crown by midstretch with a mile in 1:35.44 and blowing the race open in the final furlong under Irad Ortiz Jr, the horse's rider for the seventh straight race.
Saturday, White Abarrio broke sharply, in contrast to when he was beaten in his last race when away sluggishly and a hard-charging second in the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) Dec. 28 at Gulfstream.
Ortiz Continues Pegasus Success
Ortiz said of the Pegasus, "By the time I asked him, he really took off. He was home."
The jockey notched a third Pegasus victory following triumphs in 2022 from Life Is Good and in 2020 from Mucho Gusto.
White Abarrio, who gave Joseph a third graded stakes win Saturday shortly after Be Your Best took the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T) and Mystic Lake the Inside Information Stakes (G2), returned $7.60 for a $2 win wager.
After embracing his excited staff, an emotional Joseph rushed to reach White Abarrio and the rider. Seeing Joseph trying to hold back tears, Ortiz told him, "You should be proud. You did a great job, Saffie."
Last-out Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) winner Locked, away tardily as the favorite when his head was turned at the start when breaking from post 10, closed from eighth to grab second by a neck over Skippylongstocking, another Joseph trainee.
"Unfortunately, from that post you can't make any mistakes, and missing the break was really the one mistake you didn't want to make," said Locked's trainer, Todd Pletcher, who felt the colt ran "probably the best race of his life."
Disappointing in the Pegasus was 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, who after stalking the pace in third began to retreat late on the second turn to check in ninth.
White Abarrio's Pedigree, Sales History
Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, White Abarrio is one of two winners from four starters out of the Into Mischief mare Catching Diamonds. Her one unraced foal is a 2-year-old filly by Yaupon . Catching Diamonds is a half sister to group 3 winner Cool Cowboy.
White Abarrio is the top progeny of his sire Race Day, a son of the legendary Tapit .
The winner was twice sold at Ocala Breeders' Sales auctions but was acquired by his C 2 Racing Stable-headed ownership via a private purchase and turned over to Joseph after a debut victory at Gulfstream in September 2021. White Abarrio has a 9-2-3 record in 20 starts with earnings of $6,879,850.
"This horse has taken us on an unbelievable ride," Clint Cornett said. "I called Mark in 2021 and said, let's jump back in this game. I had no idea it would be this good. This is a once-in-a-lifetime horse right here."
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