Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. expressed pleasure with White Abarrio's condition Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park following his victory in Saturday's $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1), and he has reason to believe that the son of Race Day will be even better on the first Saturday in May for the Kentucky Derby (G1).
“Physically, he's not an overly big horse. He's filled out and he's grown a bit. He's a changed horse,” Joseph said. “He's changed from November to now, and he's showing it on the track. That's what you want. You want to be improving at this time of year. I feel he's making forward progressions.”
White Abarrio qualified for the Kentucky Derby Saturday with a thoroughly professional off-the-pace performance, in which he rated in fifth before making a sweeping move to the lead on the turn into the homestretch and holding off the determined bid of Todd Pletcher-trained Charge It.
“He was further back than we envisioned and to see him be able to sit back that far off the pace and make his move, it gives you a lot of confidence, because you know he can run close to the pace and now sit back and be as effective,” Joseph said.
White Abarrio's Florida Derby status was questionable less than two weeks ago after coming down with a fever that forced the gray colt to miss his final scheduled workout a week prior to Gulfstream's signature Triple Crown prep. With White Abarrio fully recovered, Joseph scheduled a three-furlong breeze last Tuesday before confirming him for the Florida Derby.
Joseph was nearly overcome with emotion in the immediate aftermath of White Abarrio's victory.
“It's a big race – the biggest race in Florida with the Pegasus,” Joseph said. “You watch people win it. You dream about being in that position, just to have a runner. To win it is just a dream come true.”
White Abarrio was the beneficiary of a well-judged ride by Tyler Gaffalione, who won five races on Saturday's card, including four stakes.
White Abarrio was privately purchased by C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC following an attention-getting 6 ¾-length debut victory at Gulfstream in September. The Kentucky-bred colt came back to capture an entry-level optional claiming allowance by four lengths before venturing to Churchill Downs for a third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) in his 2-year-old campaign finale. He scored an impressive 4 ½-length triumph in the Feb. 5 Holy Bull (G3) before training up to the Florida Derby.
White Abarrio would be the second Kentucky Derby starter for Joseph, who sent out Ny Traffic for an eighth-place finish in 2020, when the first jewel of the Triple Crown was run without fans in September due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It's not the same without the fans. The fans are the ones who make the excitement. It's going to be a much different experience. We've had a walkthrough and now we get to have the experience again,” Joseph said. “It's going to be a special moment. My family is going to be there. You try to build these memories for your kids.”
It's on to the Kentucky Derby for Tami Bobo's Simplification, who finished third in the Florida Derby after taking a lead into the stretch.
“I am so happy with the race because the horse ran well and came back well,” trainer Antonio Sano said.
Simplification, who finished second to White Abarrio in the Holy Bull before winning the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2), came under heavy outside pressure from Pappacap along the backstretch and into the stretch.
“The plan was to be up front, but the pressure from No. 5 Pappacap outside made Jose [Ortiz] move the horse before it was time,” Sano said. “It was a good field and my horse ran very good. In the Kentucky Derby, I believe he will run great.”
Trainer Brian Lynch reported that Classic Causeway, who led into the backstretch before falling back to last, came out of the disappointing result in good order.
“Everything seems good. He scoped good and came back good this morning,” Lynch said. “It's a bit of a headscratcher. We'll digest it and go on from there.”
Classic Causeway had already earned sufficient points to make the Kentucky Derby field with his victories in the Sam F. Davis (G3) and Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
“Everything is up in the air now. We'll let the dust settle and we'll make a decision in a few days,” Lynch said.
Whisper Hill Farm LLC's Charge It came up with a gritty performance against more experienced colts while finishing second in the Florida Derby in only his third career start. The Pletcher trainee, who hit the gate at the start, made a solid run at White Abarrio before racing greenly in the stretch. Pletcher expressed his pleasure with the son of Tapit's effort following his run in the Florida Derby.
“To get a real education in a race like that was very encouraging. He got a little green down the lane. He kind of drifted in behind that horse and felt like if he could have just run straight that last 100 yards, he was going to be right there. But I thought it was a huge effort, considering everything,” said Pletcher, who said the Kentucky Derby will be under consideration after seeing how the son of Tapit comes out of the Florida Derby.
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Yuugiri is “50-50” to make her next start in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said Sunday morning.
Yuugiri secured a spot in the Kentucky Oaks – the nation's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies – with a front-running neck victory over Beguine in Saturday's Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. The Fantasy offered 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to its top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks.
Brisset was working on shipping arrangements Sunday morning and said Yuugiri will initially be sent to Keeneland before moving to Churchill Downs. He said he will confer with the filly's owners, Tsunebumi and Sekie Yoshihara, before confirming next-race plans.
“I've still got to talk the ownership group,” Brisset said. “We've got to see how she came out of it and how she trains. It's 50-50, I guess, for now. I'm sure the ownership is going to want to take a shot at it.”
Brisset said Yuugiri also will be considered for the $500,000 Acorn Stakes (G1) for 3-year-old fillies at one mile June 11 at Belmont Park.
Beguine will be pointed for the Kentucky Oaks, trainer Dan Peitz said Sunday morning. Beguine collected 40 qualifying points for her runner-up finish and ranks ninth on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard released Saturday night by Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks is limited to 14 starters.
Peitz's only Kentucky Oaks starter, Real Cozzy, was runner-up in 2001 after finishing ninth in the Fantasy.
“It was Real Cozzy's fifth start and it will be this filly's fifth start,” Peitz said. “She's lightly raced. The plan right now is to go.”
Fantasy third Bubble Rock has 30 points to rank 10th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, but is probably not a candidate for the race, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday morning. Bubble Rock, a homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, was making her first start on dirt Saturday after previously winning stakes races on turf and a synthetic surface.
Bubble Rock, under eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr., was beaten 3 ¼ lengths in the Fantasy after stalking Yuugiri throughout much of the race.
“Really proud of her,” Cox said. “I'm really glad that we gave her the opportunity on the dirt. She did not embarrass us at all. I thought it was a super-good effort. Ricardo rode her and he's a good judge of a horse. He held her together. He said when he asked her to pick it up, she went but she struggled maybe just a little bit. That made me think she is grass. We'll probably get her back on the grass in the future.”
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Cyberknife emerged in good order from his victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1) Saturday and most likely will ship Tuesday to Churchill Downs to begin preparing for the Kentucky Derby (G1) while Secret Oath, third in race, will also head to Louisville to prepare for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Cyberknife received a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 92 (a career high) for Saturday's 2 ¾-length victory over Barber Road, which marked the second consecutive for the son of Gun Runner since a disappointing sixth-place finish in his stakes debut, the Lecomte Stakes (G3) Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds.
Known for his frisky behavior – Cyberknife was disqualified from a career-debut victory last September at Churchill Downs for stretch interference – the colt dumped regular rider Florent Geroux in the post parade after the jockey was legged up in the infield.
“I didn't see it happen, but somebody yelled at me and I said, 'Oh,' ” trainer Brad Cox said. “I was too far away to do anything about it, but Florent was able to jump up on him by himself. He's got a lot of energy. He's feeling good. It's a nice, crisp morning and if you watched him walk around here, you definitely wouldn't think he ran a mile and an eighth yesterday. He's got a lot of energy.”
Cyberknife collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points with Saturday's victory and ranks fourth on the official leaderboard released Saturday night by Churchill Downs.
Cyberknife is 2 for 2 since Cox removed blinkers following the Lecomte. Cyberknife debuted with the equipment, then raced without blinkers in his next starts, including a troubled second-place finish in a Nov. 5 sprint at Churchill Downs. Cyberknife, in his two-turn debut, broke his maiden Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds before adding blinkers again in the Lecomte.
“Was super disappointed in his second run,” Cox said. “I was in California maybe for the Breeders' Cup for that race. But I was like 'Aw, you know, this is our spot; this is when we're going to get our maiden broken.' He didn't run bad; he just wouldn't go by the other horse. Not to take anything away from the winner that day (Classic Moment), but I thought he was goofing off and not really focused and paying attention. If you watch his race replays, they tell you more about him than anything in regards to his antics down the lane. Obviously in the post parade yesterday, he did get Flo off and he's a handful, he really is. He's not bad. He's just full of energy.”
Cox also trains lightly raced Zozos, who was a 10 ¼-length entry-level allowance winner Feb. 11 at Oaklawn before finishing second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at 1 3/16 miles March 26 at Fair Grounds in his most recent start. Zozos also is safely in the Kentucky Derby field with 40 points to rank 13th.
“Knock on wood, right?” said Cox, who has captured two consecutive Eclipse Awards as the country's outstanding trainer. “We've been able to flop horses back for several years now, between both locations, Oaklawn and Fair Grounds. We have several horses here that train at Oaklawn that ran down at the Fair Grounds and vice versa and they work well together. Both operations work really well together. Listen, we can't have them all here or have them all there. Believe me, I would like to have them all in one place like that with the numbers that we. I've always felt pretty confident that when a horse is doing well and training well, one of these two surfaces they can ship to and perform well.”
Cyberknife, who is owned by Gold Square LLC (Al Gold), has a 3-2-0 record from six lifetime starts and earnings of $860,000.
Barber Road also came out of the Arkansas Derby in good shape physically, trainer John Ortiz said Sunday morning. Barber Road has 58 points to rank ninth on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. All of Barber Road's points have been collected in Oaklawn's four-race Kentucky Derby prep series, with runner-up finishes in the Smarty Jones Stakes at one mile Jan. 1 and Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 29, a third-place finish in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26 and another second in the Arkansas Derby.
“Right now, we don't have any plans of moving him,” said Ortiz, who has never had a Kentucky Derby starter. “He sprung a shoe, so we're going to get that fixed first and address that. He got banged around there down the stretch, but he's just a tough little horse.”
Ortiz said Barber Road will eventually ship straight to Churchill Downs to train for the Kentucky Derby. Ortiz said he will have a 20-horse string there this spring.
Secret Oath, the Arkansas Derby favorite, was facing males for the first time after winning her three starts at the meeting, including the Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 29 and Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 26, by a combined 23 lengths.
In the Arkansas Derby, Secret Oath, last of nine, made a sweeping six-wide move on the second turn to reach contention before weakening late to finish three-quarters of a length behind Barber Road.
“She was tired,” said trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “That move she made was a terrific move for a filly at this stage of her career, to keep going. Watching it live, I thought she's probably going to hang a little bit here. She almost had to. It was a monster move. But when she came back, she was tired. The beautiful thing is we've got five weeks now. I said that before the race and now it gives us some direction. We're not thinking Derby. Now, we're focused on what we should be – the Oaks – and we've got five weeks to get back in form.”
Lukas said Secret Oath and stablemates Ethereal Road and Ignitis will ship Tuesday to Churchill Downs. Ignitis, third in the Smarty Jones, is pointing for the Lafayette Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs April 8 at Keeneland.
Ethereal Road, the Rebel runner-up, is scheduled to make his next start in the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at 1 1/8 miles April 9 at Keeneland. Ethereal Road has 20 points to rank 24th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
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