White Abarrio made a stunning return to the track with an effortless victory in the $165,000 Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. The Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup champion, owned by C2 Racing Stable LLC, Gary Barber, and La Milagrosa Stable, showcased his class by pulling away to win by 5 ¼ lengths, stopping the clock at an impressive 1:41.97 for 1 1/16 miles.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the 6-year-old son of Race Day broke cleanly from the gate, sitting just behind his stablemate, One Sharp Cookie, through a sharp 22.82-second first quarter. As the field reached the backstretch, White Abarrio quickened the pace, taking over just before the half-mile mark, which was completed in 45.98 seconds.
With 2024 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner Power Squeeze looming on his outside around the far turn, White Abarrio responded effortlessly when Ortiz gave him the signal. The gray multiple Grade 1 stakes winner surged ahead down the homestretch, leaving his competition behind and crossing the finish line with ease.
Ortiz, who has ridden some of the best horses in the sport, was impressed with how easily White Abarrio handled the race. “Beautiful. He broke good again, and when he breaks like that, he makes things easier. I didn’t do too much. I just let him be him, and that was it. I let him be him every step of the way,” said Ortiz.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was equally thrilled, emphasizing that White Abarrio is performing at an elite level right now. “He’s in a different league right now,” Joseph said. “At the quarter-pole, I knew they were going quick, and I was looking to see if the race was going to fall apart. But he just kept going. Hopefully, he stays healthy after this. We feel like he’s the best horse in the country.”
With his dominant Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) victory, White Abarrio is now being pointed toward one of the most prestigious Grade 1 mile races in the country—the Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga on June 7. This will be another crucial test as he continues to build his reputation as one of the best horses in training.
Joseph praised the race as the “perfect prep” for the Met Mile, highlighting how White Abarrio managed to run under 1:42 for 1 1/16 miles—a rare feat at Gulfstream Park. “I haven’t seen a horse go under 1:42 in a long time on this track. I know they got a little moisture in it, but not enough to make it that fast,” Joseph noted.
With his Pegasus World Cup (G1) triumph already in the books and another dominant Grade 3 victory added to his resume, White Abarrio is set to take on the country’s best milers in the Met Mile (G1). If his current form is anything to go by, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
