Watch: White Abarrio preps for Derby with work at Gulfstream
White Abarrio breezed five furlongs in company at Gulfstream Park Sunday morning in preparation for a scheduled start in the May 7 Kentucky Derby.
Working for the second time since impressively winning the April 2 Florida Derby (G1) by 1 1/2 lengths, the 3-year-old son of Race Day completed five furlongs in 1:00.04 after passing workmate Stormy Pattern (1:01.04) nearing the wire. The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.58.
“It went good. I got him in 59-and-4 (seconds). They got him in a minute. He worked with that horse before the Florida Derby, two weeks out,” Joseph said. “We kept everything the same, the same workmate, a similar pattern two weeks out. That time he ran a 1:02. This time he ran a little faster than a minute. Last time he galloped out in 1:13. This time he galloped out in 1:12.”
White Abarrio was purchased by his current owners, C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable after debuting at Gulfstream Sept. 24 with a 6 3/4-length triumph. He went on to win an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream by four lengths five weeks later. White Abarrio concluded his 2021 campaign with a third-place finish in the Nov. 27 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs behind Smile Happy and Classic Causeway.
The Joseph trainee was impressive in his 3-year-old debut at Gulfstream Feb. 5, capturing the Holy Bull (G3) by 4 1/2 lengths ahead of Simplification, who went on the win March 5 Fountain of Youth (G2) in White Abarrio’s absence. The Joseph trainee rallied from off the pace to defeat Charge It in the Florida Derby.
Joseph has trained one Kentucky Derby starter, Ny Traffic, who finished eighth in a September edition of the 2020 Run for the Roses.
“You just try to keep an even keel. It’s a long way to go in horse racing terms – 13 days,” Joseph said. “You just want to get through everything and ship up there fine and go into the race the best we can.”
White Abarrio is scheduled to breeze a half-mile next Sunday before shipping to Churchill Downs the following day.