HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — White Abarrio triumphed in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, winning by a commanding margin of 6 1/4 lengths.
The horse completed the 1 1/8-mile race in a time of 1:48.05, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, marking his third career win in this prestigious event.
Sent off at 5-2 odds, White Abarrio’s payout was $7.60 for the win, $3.80 for place, and $3 for show.
Locked finished in second place and returned $3.20 and $2.40, while Skippylongstocking secured third place just a neck behind, yielding $4.40 to his supporters.
Mystik Dan, who was the Kentucky Derby champion, struggled, finishing ninth in the 11-horse race, continuing a dry spell with four losses since his notable victory last May.
White Abarrio’s performance boasts a stellar 2023 season, having also claimed victory in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, trained by Rick Dutrow.
Previously, the horse won the Florida Derby at Gulfstream in 2022. Following the disqualification of his former trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., from racing at Churchill Downs and in New York, due to the sudden deaths of two horses, White Abarrio’s owners opted to transfer him to Dutrow.
Joseph had initially aimed for White Abarrio to compete in the Met Mile at Belmont, but the transfer occurred as the trainer was barred from the tracks over the unfortunate incidents.
After Joseph was cleared to resume training, he was able to reclaim the horse last June.
“Today he was spectacular,” Joseph expressed with emotion after the win, also noting his pride in training Skippylongstocking. “I’m just thankful.”
In another highlight, the $1 million Pegasus Turf turned into a nail-biting finish as Spirit of St Louis narrowly defeated Integration by a neck.
The six-year-old gelding completed the 1 1/8-mile turf race in a time of 1:44.50, which was close to the track record of 1:44.45 held by last year’s champion, Warm Heart.
At 7-1 odds, Spirit of St Louis paid $17.80 for the win and was guided to victory by jockey Tyler Gaffalione under the training expertise of Chad Brown, who was recently honored with the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top trainer.
Chasing the Crown finished in third place in this thrilling event.
