Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will send Grade 1 winner White Abarrio up to New York from his Gulfstream Park base for the $300,000 Carter Handicap (G1), a seven-furlong sprint for older horses April 8 at Aqueduct.
C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire White Abarrio captured last year's Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park in April en route to finishing 16th in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He completed a productive sophomore campaign in December with a third-place finish in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1).
The 4-year-old Race Day colt, a five-time winner at Gulfstream, made his 2023 debut with an eighth-place effort in the nine-furlong Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).
Joseph said White Abarrio will now focus on one-turn tests after an impressive optional-claiming win sprinting seven furlongs on March 4 at Gulfstream that garnered a career-best 103 Beyer.
“He ran really well when we got him back to seven-eighths and we're going to stick to one-turn with him,” Joseph said. “We tried the Pegasus because he's so good on this track (Gulfstream), but at this stage of his career I think that one turn is best for him.”
White Abarrio worked a half-mile in :49.50 Saturday at Gulfstream, and Joseph said a good effort in the Carter could propel the popular gray colt to a start in the $1-million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan (G1) on June 10 at Belmont Park.
“The Met Mile could come into play, too, but this race [the Carter] is important,” Joseph said. “If we can add another Grade 1 to his resume, it's very important to his career as a stallion going forward.”
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