Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

Pegasus World Cup Turf

Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

THE six-year-old grey White Abarrio returned to the form that had seen him dominate the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2023, when he raced away with the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream on Saturday, defeating slow-starting favourite Locked by six and a quarter lengths.

It was White Abarrio’s fourth Grade 1 victory following the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita and the Whitney Stakes as a four-year-old, as well as the 2022 Florida Derby at Gulfstream at three, though only that latter triumph came for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Richard Dutrow Jr. then trained the horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Whitney Stakes.

Trainer switch

White Abarrio was moved to Richard Dutrow 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 week at Churchill Downs. An investigation cleared Joseph of any rule violations, but White Abarrio’s ownership did not move him back.

The grey was down the field in the Saudi Cup and Metropolitan Handicap in the spring and summer and it was then that 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 trains recently crowned 2024 champion female sprinter Soul Of An Angel for C 2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable, and Ken Reimer.

An emotional Saffie Joseph Jr, speaking on NBC, said: “When he got back to Florida, to his groom, he really changed, it took a while to get him back. He got his dream trip, when he gets outside, in the clear, he’s spectacular.”

From the off, favourite Locked was compromised by a slow start from a wider draw as Saudi Crown went forward and travelled well on the lead.

Racing in fifth, between two and three lengths off fractions set by Saudi Crown, White Abarrio began his run on the second turn.

Quickly in control

Heading into the stretch, the two greys were clear of the other nine and set for a duel. But White Abarrio was quickly in control, opening up two lengths on Saudi Crown by midstretch with a mile in 1m 35.44secs and racing away in the final furlong under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Saudi Crown faded in the final furlong as Skippylongstocking stayed on for third ahead of Frankie Dettori on Mixto.

The winning time for nine furlongs on dirt was 1m 48.05secs, the fastest Pegasus since Knicks Go was clocked in 1m47.89 secs in 2021. Ortiz said: “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 2020 with Mucho Gusto.

The son of the little-known Tapit horse Race Day, White Abarrio was bred by Spendthrift Farm and his track earnings are now $6,879,850. This was his seventh win from nine outings at Gulfstream. Decisions on his next race are yet to be made with the Saudi Cup a “possible.”

White Abarrio gave Joseph a third graded stakes win on Saturday shortly after Be Your Best, a five-year-old Irish-bred mare by Muhaarar took the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes under Edgard Zayas and Mystic Lake (Irad Ortiz) the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes.

Spirit strikes

Chad Brown struck in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented By Qatar Racing, with the six-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding Spirit Of St Louis.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn, he was making his Grade 1 breakthrough, his only previous graded stakes appearance was a fifth-place finish in the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland. This was his 10th win in 14 starts though. He came wide and late under Tyler Gaffalione to get the better of Frankie Dettori on Integration by a neck while Charlie Appleby’s favourite Nations Pride was a disappointment, never looking like winning and finishing ninth of the 12.

“I just kind of waited for my spot and coming into the stretch I was able to work my way out, and the horse did the rest. I’m so happy for the connections and thankful for the opportunity,” Gaffalione said.”

ON the Kentucky Derby trail, the latest trial was at Oaklawn where the mile and half a furlong Grade 3 Southwest Stakes went to the Ron Moquett-trained Speed King who made all to win by a length from the slow starting (stumbled badly) Sandman. Brad Cox’s favourite Patch Adams only finished fourth.

The victory moves Speed King to second place on the Derby leaderboard with a total of 25.

Bob Baffert’s Grade 1 winner Gaming, runner-up in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, raced in the back of the pack throughout and never threatened.