White Abarrio Works Sunday for G1 Pegasus World Cup

G1 Pegasus Turf Contender Test Score Puts In Sunday Breeze
Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $425,000 for Thursday, Another Super Hi-5 Carryover

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable’s 7-year-old White Abarrio remains on course to make a title defense in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 24 following a three-furlong breeze Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

White Abarrio went three furlongs in 40.23 seconds over a fast main track in his first work since Dec. 11. The multiple Grade 1 winner and earner of more than $7 million in purses has not raced since finishing a troubled fourth in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) Aug. 31 at Saratoga.

“Time-wise it was a little bit slower than was supposed to be the plan, but it was mainly to make sure that we were happy with some of the adjustments we made,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “We’re very happy with how he went this week. Hopefully he has a good week again this week and he’ll have his important work next Sunday.”

White Abarrio was scratched from Gulfstream’s Mr. Prospector (G3) Dec. 27, a race where he ran second in 2024 as a prep for last January’s Pegasus which he won by 6 ¼ lengths – the largest margin of victory since the Pegasus was launched in 2017.

Grade 3-placed Knightsbridge rolled to a front-running 4 ¾-length triumph in the Mr. Prospector, his second straight win off more than a nine-month layoff.

“We’re happy with where he’s at,” Joseph said. “We ran out of time for the Mr. Prospector. We didn’t want to just run and be second or third or fourth. We knew [Knightsbridge] was going to be a good horse. There was no sense to run him last week because we didn’t feel it was going to benefit us. We decided to wait, give him the extra time and we’re on the right path right now.”

At Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Live Oak Plantation’s Grade 1 winner And One More Time worked a half-mile in 47.65 seconds Sunday, the fastest of 41 horses. Second by a head in Gulfstream’s Dec. 13 Tropical Park Oaks, the 4-year-old filly trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse is being pointed to the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2).

Amerman Racing’s Grade 1-winning homebred Test Score breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 over a firm Palm Meadows turf ahead of the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1). The Graham Motion trainee was most recently third by a half-length in the Hollywood Derby (G1) Nov. 29 at Del Mar.

Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $425,000 for Thursday, Super Hi-5 Carryover $28,542

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool is estimated to reach $425,000 when the Championship Meet resumes with a 10-race program Thursday.

First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 5-10 and includes two races scheduled for the grass. Race 6 is an optional claiming allowance for older Florida-breds sprinting five furlongs on the turf where Sticky McShnickens, second or third in 11 of 17 starts, chases a second career win. Stakes-placed Quizle races first off the claim for trainer Kent Sweezey. Neophyte, unraced since Nov. 7, goes for lifetime win No. 7.

The Race 9 co-feature is an optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares going a one-turn mile on the main track. Sherbini, third in the 2024 Spinaway (G1), is set to make her first start since last May and first for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Domino Vitali was a front-running debut winner over elders Nov. 28 at Tampa Bay Downs. Godolphin homebred Contrary was beaten a half-length when second in a 7 ½-furlong allowance Nov. 12 at Churchill Downs.

Newly turned sophomore fillies are scheduled to go five furlongs on the grass in the Race 10 finale, an optional claiming allowance that drew a full field of 11 including last-out winners Epic Lady Luck, Nonna’s Love, Pulstar and Chucky’s Ride as well as Bibi Dahl, runner-up in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies last spring over the Gulfstream turf in her debut.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out 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.

The Rainbow 6 has gone unsolved for seven consecutive racing days since returning multiple mandatory payouts of $2,390.64 Dec. 21.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover in Thursday’s 10th race of $28,542.86.

Who’s hot: Jockey Edgard Zayas visited the winner’s circle twice Sunday with Storm West ($8.20) in Race 2 and Paradise ($3.80) in Race 7 … Jockey Tyler Gaffalione also doubled aboard Uncle John ($6.60) n Race 6 and Speed Figures ($8.40) in Race 8 … Storm West and Jestina ($6.20) in Race 5 are trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.