White Abarrio capturing the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. (Lauren King)
Quick Decision Leads to One Quick Horse
Breeders’ Cup Notes
When his brother Mark called, Clint Cornett listened. Within 24 hours they owned White Abarrio, the now 4-year-old colt who is headed to the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Saturday at Santa Anita Park.
White Abarrio secured a berth in the Classic with an emphatic 6 1/4-length victory in the Aug. 5 Whitney Stakes (G1), a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In event at Saratoga Race Course.
The Cornett brothers – Clint lives in Flower Mound, Texas, Mark in Naples, Florida – decided in 2021 to end a 10-year hiatus and return to racing as active owners. Their goal was to acquire a horse that would take them to the Kentucky Derby (G1). On Friday, Sept. 24, Mark called from Gulfstream Park after watching White Abarrio win his debut by 6 3/4 lengths. Clint said his brother was excited by the way the 2-year-old inexperienced colt ran.
“If I remember correctly, he said ‘this is the one,’” Clint said, “just seeing him his first time out.”
The Cornett brothers, who had run as Turf Express and were involved in more than 20 partnerships, made the deal with owner-trainer Carlos Perez that evening and sealed it the next day.
“White Abarrio was the second horse we bought,” Clint Cornett said. “(Mark) was at the track, saw him break his maiden, and it just really caught his eye. He did something a lot of horses don’t do first time out from the one hole, and then, coming into the top of the stretch, just split two horses like it was no big deal, then carried on and won I think by 6.
“We talked to Carlos, purchased him privately and came up with a plan for him,” Clint Cornett said. “The plan worked out to get to the Derby.”
In the Cornett’s C2 Racing Stable colors with trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., White Abarrio romped in an allowance race a month after the purchase and finished third in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) in late November. He opened his 2022 season with a 4 1/2-length score in the Holy Bull (G3) and secured the points he needed for a Derby berth by winning the Florida Derby (G1). In the Derby he was a disappointing 16th of 20. Though he was second in the Ohio Derby (G3), he was off the board in the Haskell Stakes (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1). In his final start of 2022, he was third, beaten a half-length in the Cigar Mile (G1).
“He could have easily won that race if he wasn’t stuck down on the rail in 4 inches of water,” Clint Cornett said.
White Abarrio ended up eighth in the season-opening Pegasus World Cup (G1) but turned in a smart win in an allowance race on March 4. Racing for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. he was third, missing second by a head, in the Met Mile (G1) on June 10. After looking at the probable starters for the Whitney, White Abarrio’s connections opted to change course and try the 1 1/8 miles race instead of waiting for 7-furlong Forego (G1) later in August. White Abarrio delivered under Irad Ortiz Jr.
The Cornetts have done very well with White Abarrio, who Clint said was acquired for a “mid six figures” price. He has won five of 13 starts, earning more than $1.8 million and carried them to the Derby and now the richest race run in America.
“It’s not only the return on the investment,” Clint Cornett said, “but it’s very rare. unless you’re just spending multi-multi-millions of dollars that you run across a horse like this. We spend our share of money, don’t get me wrong, on that. But it’s one of those scenarios where I think these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences with a horse.”
