White Abarrio leaves his Ghostzapper rivals in the dust (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – C2 Racing Stable LLC, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable’s White Abarrio made a triumphant return Saturday from his smashing victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 with a dominating 5 ¼-length score in the $165,000 Ghostzapper (G3) presented by FanDuel TV Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
“He’s in a different league right now,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He did it as easy as he can.”
White Abarrio, who captured the 2022 Curlin Florida Derby (G1), was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 4-year-olds and up, one of 10 stakes, five graded, on Saturday’s 14-race Curlin Florida Derby Day program.
The 6-year-old son of Race Day broke cleanly from the starting gate to stalk stablemate One Sharp Cookie around the first turn and into the backstretch. Joseph-trained One Sharp Cookie completed the first quarter of a mile in 22.82 (seconds) before his celebrated stablemate took over while getting the first half-mile in 45.98. White Abarrio was joined by 2024 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner Power Squeeze to his outside on the far turn.
Turning into the homestretch, Ortiz asked White Abarrio and the flashy gray multiple Grade 1 stakes winner responded instantly, drawing away to a comfortable victory in 1:41.97 with minimal urging.
“Beautiful. He broke good again, and when he breaks like that he makes things easier. I didn’t do too much. I just let him be him, and that was it. I let him be him every step of the way,” Ortiz said.
Joseph was impressed with White Abarrio’s sub-1:42 1 1/16-mile performance.
“At the quarter-pole, obviously I knew they were going quick and I was looking to see if the race was going to fall apart,” he said. “He’s just in a different league right now. Hopefully, he stays healthy after this. We feel like he’s the best horse in the country.”
White Abarrio, who had captured the Pegasus World Cup by 6 ¼ lengths, is scheduled to run next in the Met Mile (G1) June 7 at Saratoga.
“Perfect prep. You obviously want to make it as easy as possible, and you want to win. You don’t want to get beat. I though he won as easy as he could after going so quick early,” Joseph said. ‘I haven’t seen go under 1:42 in a long time on this track. I know they got a little moisture in it but not enough to make it that fast.”
