After trainers’ troubles, White Abarrio wins Breeders’ Cup Classic
ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA
There is little doubt that the racing career of White Abarrio has had its share of ups and downs. In March, he dropped to the allowance level after six straight losses. Then his trainer was suspended. He was then transferred to a trainer who was coming off a 10-year suspension.
On Saturday at Santa Anita, some of that fell away as he won the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The saga of White Abarrio began in Hallandale Beach last year when the colt won the Florida Derby for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Expectations were high, but his trip to the Kentucky Derby did not go well as he finished 16th.
He never found his stride the rest of the year as he struggled through the next five races before Joseph dropped him to an allowance level this year at Gulfstream, where he won.
Then when Joseph took his string of horses to Churchill Downs around this year’s Kentucky Derby, two of his horses dropped dead. No leg breaks, just sudden death. Joseph was suspended by Churchill Downs on May 4. He was reinstated June 30.
The owners of White Abarrio knew they had to make a change in trainers and they chose Rick Dutrow, who earlier in the year came off a 10-year suspension after New York racing officials charged him with medication and administrative violations, including finding syringes with unauthorized medication in his barn.
Dutrow was reinstated on Jan. 17. White Abarrio was transferred to Dutrow on May 23.
The horse immediately improved to finish third in the Met Mile and then won the Whitney Handicap.
And now, the Classic.
“I don’t feel that I am back at the top, but I feel that the white horse is,” Dutrow said.
“I’m just hanging around him. As soon as I get stables like Todd [Pletcher] and Chad [Brown], then I’ll feel like I’m back on the top.
“Right now I just feel like I’m lucky to be around him. I feel he’s on the top, and I love being around good horses like that. It just makes you feel like a good horseman, and that’s always what I wanted to be.”
Dutrow previously won the Classic in 2005 with Saint Liam.
White Abarrio, with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle, had a near perfect trip Saturday as front-runners Arabian Knight and Saudi Crown put up some fast times through the early stages of the 11⁄4-mile race.
Sitting in third was the perfect place to be as the speed in front of him collapsed. He motored past the fading horses and won by a comfortable length.
He paid $7.20 to win. Derma Sotogake was second followed by Proxy, Arabian Knight, Ushba Tesoro, Bright Future, Senor Buscador, Dreamlike, Zandon, Saudi Crown, Clapton and Missed the Cut.
FEEL-GOOD STORY
One of the biggest cheers of the day came in the $1 million Dirt Mile when Cody’s Wish survived a stewards’ inquiry to put an exclamation point on the fairytale story of a boy and horse. Cody’s
Wish was named for Cody Dorman, a 17-year-old who was born with WolfHirschhorn syndrome, a condition that leaves a person wheelchair bound and unable to speak. As part of a Make-A-Wish program with Keeneland, Cody was introduced to the then-unnamed horse as a foal, who first nuzzled the boy’s hand before putting his head in his lap.
The next year, the horse was named Cody’s Wish. Saturday was his last race before he will be sent off to stallion duty. In a couple of years there will no doubt be a lot of other horses with Cody in the name.
“In a lot of ways, I think that horse saved Cody’s life,” said Kelly Dorman, Cody’s father. “I know him and the horse have made a lot of lives better. … The blessing is the day that Cody’s Wish put his head in Cody’s lap.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who trained the legendary Cigar, was asked if Cody’s Wish has been his best storyline in his career.
“If it’s not the best, it’s certainly a dead heat,”
Mott said. “It’s probably one of the most memorable rides that we’ve been on, and I think it’s meant so much to many different people.”
OTHER RACES
Idiomatic ($5.60 to win) made her case for horse of the year by winning the $2 million Distaff, which is for fillies and mares going 11⁄8 miles. It was her eighth win in nine races this year.
Inspiral ($7) won the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf over 11⁄4 miles with a furious late rally to beat Warm Heart by a neck. It was the 15th Breeders’ Cup win for jockey Frankie Dettori and sixth for trainer John Gosden.
Goodnight Olive ($4.20) defended her title in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint at seven furlongs by beating late-running Yuugiri by 23⁄4 lengths.
Auguste Rodin ($7) gave trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore their second win of the two-day event when the 3-year-old colt won the $4 million Turf at 11⁄2 miles by three-quarters of a length.
The Breeders’ Cup comes back to Southern California next year with the races at Del Mar.