White Abarrio breezes at Belmont ahead of Met Mile

Grade 1 winner White Abarrio breezed five furlongs in 59.02 seconds Friday at Belmont Park in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 10.

The Metropolitan offers a win and you’re in berth to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Santa Anita.

Trained by Rick Dutrow and piloted through the work by Irad Ortiz Jr., the 4-year-old Race Day colt was caught by New York Racing Association clockers through splits of 24.30 seconds and 35.72 before galloping out in 1:11.74.

“Irad said he worked good. He was happy with that,” Dutrow said. “He's a nice horse. He liked the track and Irad said he was going good. He said he really didn't ask him for anything, just galloping out he just wanted to keep his mind on his business and he couldn't be happier with him. So, I kind of feel the same way.”

White Abarrio, who won the Florida Derby (G1) last year, last worked a half-mile in 50.68 seconds on May 21 at Gulfstream Park when in the care of previous conditioner Saffie Joseph, Jr. before being transferred to the Dutrow barn last week.

Dutrow said graded-stakes winner Master Piece, who also was transferred to his care from the Joseph barn, will miss the Manhattan (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day.

“He came in here and had some kind of bellyache,” said Dutrow, who sent the 7-year-old Mastercraftsman ridgling to the Cornell Ruffian Equine Clinic briefly for evaluation. “He's back now and he looks like a different horse since he's been back. He's happy enough. So, I guess he'll go back to the track in a couple of days. They wanted him to walk for three days here, so he's still under doctor's care, which is good.”

Dutrow said Master Piece is scheduled to walk the shedrow over the next two days before resuming serious training. Master Piece made the grade in the Eddie Read (G2) in July at Del Mar when trained by Michael McCarthy.

Dutrow said stakes-placed New York-bred Prince of Pharoahs came out of his seventh-place finish in Monday’s Commentator at Belmont in good order.

The 6-year-old American Pharoah gelding provided Dutrow with his first victory since returning from suspension when he captured an open-company allowance mile on May 6 at Belmont.

“He looks good. I thought he ran a big race yesterday. He was just in the wrong place, that’s all,” Dutrow said. “We can regroup, and we know not to try that again. But he ran his ass off. I'm happy with that horse.”