Although White Abarrio has been pre-entered for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic, preparations for the race haven't gone as planned since arriving at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., where the Nov. 3-4 championships will be held. The Daily Racing Form reported Oct. 23 that a planned workout for the horse did not take place as scheduled, and that trainer Rick Dutrow hoped the horse would put in a workout on Oct. 25.
On Wednesday morning, as Tuesday morning, the gray jogged and galloped but did not put in a timed work.
In response to an inquiry from the Paulick Report, California Horse Racing Board spokesman Mike Marten said the commission did not prevent the horse from working on Oct. 23.
“The request to work on Monday, per [Santa Anita] workout requirements, was declined by a team of Breeders' Cup examining veterinarians: Drs. Benson, Blea, and Grande,” said Marten. While retained by Breeders' Cup Ltd for the upcoming championships, Dr. Jeff Blea is the CHRB's equine medical director while Dr. Tim Grande is employed as CHRB's chief official veterinarian. Dr. Dionne Benson is chief veterinary officer for 1/ST, which operates Santa Anita.
Dutrow told the Paulick Report that he wants to breeze White Abarrio Friday.
“He's good,” Dutrow told publisher Ray Paulick via text. “Only feet for maybe a day … we are so happy with him and so excited about what can be.”
Benson echoed the expectation that the horse would work later this week.
“The horse had diagnostics that made it such that it did not meet the requirements for a work under the trainer agreement with the CTT (California Thoroughbred Trainers),” Benson said.
Mark Cornett, owner and racing manager for C2 Racing Stable told the Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch that the horse needed new shoes and that was the reason for his missed work.
“I know there have been a lot of questions about why he missed the work Monday, and the answer is really twofold,” Cornett told Welsch. “One he wears glue-ons, so when his foot starts growing out it pinches him. We couldn't breeze him Monday because Ian [blacksmith Ian McKinlay] was flying in to shoe him that day. He put a size 8 on him instead of the size 7 he had been wearing.”
It's not the first time veterinarians have stopped the horse from breezing at Santa Anita. White Abarrio shipped to Southern California in mid-September and put in a work Sept. 20, going five furlongs in 1:00.80. The Form reported the following week that Dutrow's request to work him was denied by track veterinarians. He later breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Oct. 2, five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Oct. 9, and five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Oct. 16.
White Abarrio was added to the CHRB veterinarian's list for the administration of an unidentified intra-articular injection on Oct. 16. Per Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority regulation, he would have been eligible to breeze on the seventh day after his injections, which was Oct. 23.
White Abarrio won the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes Aug. 5, which is a Win And You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Classic. He was transferred to Dutrow's barn this spring after Dutrow served a ten-year ban from the sport by New York regulators for multiple medication violations. White Abarrio was previously trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and won the G1 Florida Derby and G3 Holy Bull with Joseph in 2022.
The post Breeders’ Cup Vet Team Blocked White Abarrio’s Work; Connections Cite Shoeing Issue appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
