Graded-Stakes Winner Favored in Saturday Feature
White Abarrio Breezes Half-Mile for Cigar Mile

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Lea Farms LLC’s Lightening Larry will look to start off on the right foot in Saturday’s Race 9 feature at Gulfstream Park following back-to-back outings in which he was eliminated from contention due to problems leaving the gate.

After capturing the May 21 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico, Lightening Larry finished off the board in the Aug. 6 Jersey Shore at Monmouth and Sept. 24 Gallant Bob (G2) at Parx.

“The last two starts in the gate, we had him standing well, but he grabbed his left foot at Monmouth and then he did it again,” said Chantal Sutherland, Lightening Larry’s regular rider. “The first time, he hurt his foot really bad – it was taking the skin off the back. We gave him time to let it heal. The next time, he did it again, grabbing with the back end. He’s been over-reaching.”

Sutherland schooled Jorge Delgado-trained Lightening Larry in the starting gate Friday morning.

“As soon as we got him in, we took him to the front [of the stall] where the ‘V’ is. I think we was leaning too far back. We’re hoping he’ll break better,” Sutherland said. “He was great in the gate. When we left the gate to jog him home, he was breathing fire. He’s ready.”

Lightening Larry had finished first or second in eight of his first nine career starts before encountering gate problems in his last two starts. The 3-year-old son of Uncaptured is the 8-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s featured six-furlong optional claiming allowance in which he will meet older rivals for the first time.

Stonehedge LLC’s Dean Delivers, a 3-year-old son of Cajun Breeze who has finished first or second in seven of ninth starts, is rated second at 9-5. The Michael Yates trainee, who finished a close second in the Swale (G3) during the 2021-2022 Championship Meet, is coming off a second-pace finish in the Gil Campbell Memorial.

White Abarrio Breezes Half-Mile for Cigar Mile

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC’s White Abarrio breezed a half-mile in 44.73 seconds at Gulfstream Park Friday morning in preparation for a start in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct.

The 2022 Florida Derby (G1) champion has breezed five times since finishing fifth in the Sept. 24 Pennsylvania Derby (G1), including back-to-back ‘bullet’ workouts prior to Friday’s half-mile blowout.

“He worked in company. He sat off the target and went by it easy. It was kind of an easy breeze for him,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He ships Sunday.”

On Friday afternoon, Joseph-trained Unsociable captured his third straight victory in the Race 8 feature, a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta. The 3-year-old son of Social Inclusion tracked a sharp early pace before putting in a sustained stretch drive to prevail over Psychedelic Shack by a neck. Unsociable ran the distance in 1:02.63 under Leonel Reyes.

Vai Bella ($6.80), one of only two fillies with race experience in a field of seven 2-year-old maidens in Friday’s Race 6, shook off race-long pressure while setting the pace to graduate in her fourth career start. The Antonio Sano-trained daughter of Practical Joke, who lost her previous start by just a neck, set fractions of 21.69 and 45.27 seconds for a half mile on her way to a final clocking of 58.29 seconds in the five-furlong maiden special weight race on Tapeta.

Christophe Clement-trained Jenny Stamp, who was sent to post for her debut ats the 8-5 favorite, broke poorly from the starting gate to trail the field early before closing for third.

There will be a $33,889.91 Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot for Saturday’s program at Gulfstream. First-race post time is set for 12:10 p.m.