Gulfstream: White Abarrio continues comeback in Mr. Prospector
White Abarrio, winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), will continue his comeback Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park, a race that could be a prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup.
The 70th running of the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector for 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track is the last of three stakes on an 11-race program following the $115,000 Abundantia for fillies and mares aged 3 and older scheduled for five furlongs on the grass and $100,000 St. Augustine overnight handicap for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather Tapeta. First race post time is 12:20 p.m. EDT.
White Abarrio romped by 10 lengths as the overwhelming favorite against four rivals in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance Nov. 22 at Gulfstream, improving his local record to six wins from seven starts including victories in the 2022 Holy Bull (G2) and Florida Derby (G1).
It was White Abarrio’s first race in 173 days since running fifth in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Saratoga. It was also his first since being reunited with trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. after five starts for Rick Dutrow Jr. that included wins in last year’s Whitney (G1) and Breeders’ Cup. Joseph trains him for owners C2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Antonio Pagnano.
“He handled it well. There was a lot of pressure on him going in and we were happy to see him bounce back,” Joseph said. “It seemed that his performance was up to his previous good ones, so hopefully he’ll come back in this race and do the same.”
White Abarrio broke a step slow but quickly put himself in contention and took a two-length advantage into the stretch, drawing off under urging from jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. per Joseph’s instructions.
“We didn’t want him to come back and get through it barely winning. Coming back in an allowance, he needed to come back with a performance that I felt like was near his best,” Joseph said. “We thought he got something out of it.”
Ortiz returns to ride White Abarrio from post 10 in a field of 12 where they are the 3-5 program favorite.
“He seems to have come forward from that race, which is a good sign. Hopefully all the signs lead to a good performance on Saturday,” Joseph said. “He’s worked well since, he looks well and we’re very happy where he is. Hopefully he’ll have another good run.”
Mufasa, rated at 9-2 on the morning line, comes off a troubled and disappointing 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The Chile-bred is trained by Ignacio Correas IV for owners Carlos Saavedra and Stud Vendaval.
“Things did not go his way the last race and that was it for him,” Correas said. “He came out of the race well, and this is a good race to start him back.”
Prior to the Breeders’ Cup Mufasa, a Group 3 winner in Chile, won two of three starts since coming to the U.S. including a popular 4 1/4-length triumph in the seven-furlong Vosburgh (G3) on Sept. 18 in the slop at Aqueduct.
“He was very impressive. He won very easy that day,” Correas said. “We’ll run him in this race and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”
Tyler Gaffalione rides Mufasa from post 6.
Super Chow is looking regain the form that saw the 4-year-old colt register nine wins, seven in stakes, including graded scores in the Toboggan (G3) and Tom Fool (G3) over the winter at Aqueduct and Maryland Sprint (G3) May 18 at Pimlico on the undercard of the 149th Preakness Stakes (G1). He has run fourth in all three of his subsequent starts, the most recent beaten 4 1/4 lengths in Aqueduct’s six-furlong Fall Highweight on Nov. 29.
Sibelius won the last two editions of the Mr. Prospector, using the race as a springboard to victory in the 2023 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1). Sibelius was retired in August.