White Abarrio Being Pointed toward G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile

G1 Pegasus Winner to Train Up to Nov. 1 Mile at Gulfstream
Joseph Newcomer Ultimate Authority Set for G3 Princess Rooney
Rainbow 6 Starts Anew on Gulfstream’s Friday Card

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. confirmed Thursday that C2 Racing Stable LLC, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable LLC’s White Abarrio will be pointed to the $2 Million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) instead of the $6 Million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

The 6-year-old son of Race Day, who captured the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, has returned to his homebase at Gulfstream Park, where he is scheduled to breeze next week for the first time since experiencing a disastrous trip in the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) Aug. 31 at Saratoga.

“Obviously, things didn’t go the way we wanted in the Jockey Club. We’re going to regroup in the Mile,” Joseph said. “The Mile is probably going to come up the lesser spot. He’s already won the Classic. If we can add the Mile to his resume, that would be a good addition.”

White Abarrio, who won his fourth career Grade 1 stakes in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Jan. 25, was forced into Mindframe in a dramatic incident shortly after the start of the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Jockey Edgard Zayas lost an iron and Irad Ortiz Jr. was unseated from Mindframe and momentarily landed on White Abarrio’s back before hitting the track. White Abarrio went on to finish fourth after Zayas somehow regained his balance and iron.

“Right now, I think he’ll train up to the Mile,” said Joseph, who saddled White Abarrio for a victory in the 2022 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream.

Joseph Newcomer Ultimate Authority Set for G3 Princess Rooney

In addition to saddling established stakes performers Haulin Ice and Claret Beret for starts in Saturday’s $200,000 Princess Rooney (G3) at Gulfstream, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will send out stable newcome Ultimate Authority for the ‘Win and You’re In’ Breeders’ Cup Challenge race that will earn the winner a fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Miller Racing LLC’s Ultimate Authority, who finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Maria (G3) April 19 at Santa Anita in her most recent race, will run for the first time since joining Joseph’s stable while cutting back to one turn for the seven-furlong Princess Rooney.

“She’s run well going a two-turn mile. She’s coming off a layoff and probably we won’t get her as fit as you could,” Joseph said. “We figured to give her a shot at seven-eighths. She’s never gone seven-eighths, but she’s by Practical Joke. A lot of his horses go seven-eighths. Hopefully, she will as well.”

The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred filly is in training at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility where she produced a ‘bullet’ three-furlong breeze in 34 3/5 seconds Aug. 29 and a half-mile breeze in 47 1/5 seconds Sept. 12.

“She’s doing well. We could probably get her fitter. A couple of more works would be ideal, but as good as she’s training, we decided to give it a shot,” Joseph said. “She’s trained very good in her last couple works.”

C2 Racing Stable LLC, Miller Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Haulin Ice will enter the Princess Rooney off a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Sheer Drama that snapped a four-race winning streak going six and 6 ½ furlongs.

“Her resume is probably better at six, but we think she’s fine to go seven. This race from a pace standpoint seems to suit her better,” Joseph said. “She should come back to run her best. Last time, she obviously gave away a lot of weight. This time, she’s not giving away seven pounds. Hopefully, all that will work in her favor.”

In the Sheer Drama, Haulin Ice carried highweight of 127 pounds, seven more than victorious Vincey Girl, who will be in receipt of two pounds from the Joseph trainee Saturday.

Miller Racing’s Claret Beret, who won the Mo Green Handicap at Gulfstream and finished second in the Chicago (G2) at Churchill in her first two starts for Joseph, will seek to rebound from a sixth-place finish in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga.

“She didn’t run well in the Ballerina. That was a disappointing effort. I’m not sure of the reason that she didn’t fire, but she had a good work on Sunday,” Joseph said. “Hopefully, she’ll get back to her best form. Her best race is good enough.”

Rainbow 6 Starts Anew on Gulfstream’s Friday Card

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will start anew Friday at Gulfstream Park, where a mandatory payout of the jackpot pool produced multiple winners of $8569 last Sunday.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9. Race 7, a mile turf race for $35,000 claimers, will mark the return of veteran jockey Joe Bravo, who was sidelined with a hand injury sustained in a post-race mishap June 13. Bravo, who has ridden 5719 winners, will be aboard Fausto Gutierrez-trained Rashid, a 4-1 shot who will race with blinkers on while dropping from starter allowance company.

In the Race 8 feature, a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta for state-bred 3 year-olds and up, Joe Orseno-trained Sticky McShnickens, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, cuts back in distance and returns to Tapeta from a third-place finish at a mile on turf.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. On mandatory payout days, the entire pool is disbursed to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the popular wager’s six-race sequence.