It’s been a mixed bag for the 4-year-old crop of thoroughbreds, but White Abarrio made amends with a scintillating one-length victory in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
White Abarrio, a gray/roan colt owned in partnership by C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable, sat off the pace set by the early fractions of Arabian Knight and Saudi Crown. He took charge at the top of the stretch and expanded his lead before easily holding off latecomers 25-1 longshot Derma Sotogake (Japan) and Proxy (17-1).
He is trained by Richard Dutrow and was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the top jockey by wins in the United States. For Dutrow, it was his second Classic victory (Saint Liam 2005) and a return to the limelight after a 10-year suspension that ended in May.
“It’s incredible,” Dutrow said afterward. “Incredible stuff is what I’m going through right now. We were lucky to have been given a great horse to train — I never thought he looked like anything but a winner the entire way around there today.”
White Abarrio was sent off as the 5-2 favorite and covered the 1¼ miles in a pedestrian 2 minutes, 2.87 seconds. He has been the talk of the handicap division since his romp in the $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York in August.
“Everything came out perfect,” said Ortiz. “We handicapped that race perfectly. I saved all the ground on the first turn and then I was able to get in the clear on the backside. After that, it all about the horse. To be honest, I just let him do his thing and I don’t get in his way.”
In the first championship event, defending champion and sentimental favorite Cody’s Wish out-finished game and front-running National Treasure, the 2023 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, to capture the $1 million Dirt Mile.
Cody’s Wish needed a photo and survived a steward’s inquiry to repeat as champion in his final career race. The victory capped a year that saw the 5-year-old win four of his five starts, with three of them Grade 1s.
Cody’s Wish was ridden to the nose victory by Junior Alvarado and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who captured his 14th all-time Breeders’ Cup victory.
“This is the icing on the cake,” Mott said. “You couldn’t imagine a better ending He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
In the other seven races:
— Goodnight Olive’s successfully defended her $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint title, getting to the finish line 2¾ lengths ahead of Yuugiri and four lengths in front of Three Witches (26-1, 34-1 longshots, respectively). Goodnight Olive is trained by Chad Brown and was ridden by Ortiz Jr. and was the even-money favorite.
— Inspiral (GB) won her American debut in the $1.84 million Filly and Mare Turf, closing from ninth in the final furlong to catch Warm Heart (IRE) and get to the wire a neck in front. Trained by John Gosden in Britain, the 5-year-old was guided to the victory by Frankie Dettori and went to the post as the 5-2 favorite.
— Ireland’s Master of The Seas got up to beat his Godolphin stablemate Mawj by a nose in the $2 million Mile. The 5-year-old was ridden by William Buick. The owner, trainer and jockey have combined to win the past three editions of this race.
— Idiomatic, a 4-year-old filly and the 9-5 favorite, won the $2 million Distaff by a half-length over Randomized, with Le Da Vida (CHI) another nose back in third. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, the win was her eighth from nine starts this year and her third straight Grade 1, all but clinching an Eclipse Award as outstanding older filly or mare.
— In the second-richest race of the championships, Auguste Rodin (IRE) won the $4 million Turf by ¾ of a length over Up to the Mark and by another half-length over Shahryar. The 3-year-old and 5-2 favorite, is trained by Aidan O’Brien and was ridden by Ryan Moore. Auguste Rodin won his fourth Grade 1 or Group 1 race this year and first outside of Europe.
— Nobals, a 4-year-old gelding and 12-1 longshot, scored an off-the-pace victory in the $1 million Turf Sprint, the first Breeders’ Cup win for trainer Larry Rivelli and jockey Gerardo Corrales. Nobals won by a neck in the five-furlong race over Big Invasion while Aesop’s Fables finished a half-length back in third.
— In the finale, Elite Power outlasted rival Gunite and longshot Nakatomi to repeat in the $2 million Sprint. Elite Power has lost just once in his past 10 races over the last 18 months. He closed from seventh in a field of eight to win by 1 1/2 lengths. The 5-year-old, owned by Juddmonte, made his owner and trainer Mott a two-time winner on Saturday’s card while giving Ortiz Jr. a triple.
–By Field Level Media