Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Gulfstream Park, April 2, 2022 (100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth) Winner: White Abarrio, by Race Day Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione Owner: C2 Racing LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC Beyer Speed Figure: 96 WHITE ABARRIO adores Gulfstream Park. He won the track’s signature race for 3-year-olds to run his record to 4 for 4 at the place where he is based. He now moves on to the Derby, at Churchill Downs, site of the only loss of his career, in the Kentucky Jockey Club last fall. His brief trip there is the only time he’s left South Florida in months. He didn’t run all that badly that day, being as it was only his third start and first around two turns. In both his victory in the Holy Bull and this race, White Abarrio missed some training time leading up to the race. It was far more significant prior to the Holy Bull. He spiked a temperature before the Florida Derby, but it happened well in front of the race and afforded enough time to get in a final work early in the week. His Beyer Speed Figure was similar to the 97 he got in the Holy Bull. He has good contending speed, which has been the preferred style in recent editions of the Derby. In this race, White Abarrio was hustled away from the gate to avoid getting shuffled back in the brief run to the first turn. He wound up four paths wide into that turn, then was able to ease back a bit and sit just outside CHARGE IT while tracking the top three. He went after the leaders early on the far turn from the three path, was under a drive coming off the bend to go past SIMPLIFICATION and PAPPACAP, made it to the front in workmanlike fashion, and continued steadily to the wire while not exactly flashing home with style, as he drifted in and out a bit. All things considered, he had a pretty sweet trip. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Charge It, who finished second, didn’t break sharp but knifed between rivals in the opening furlong to get into a good spot, saving ground behind dueling leaders. With White Abarrio to his outside, he was forced to sit there and take a significant spray of dirt, a new experience compared to his two prior races. He had to be pushed along between White Abarrio and a tiring CLASSIC CAUSEWAY entering the far turn, couldn’t stay with White Abarrio midway on the turn, then was angled to the four path coming off the bend. He surged forward but lugged in when overreacting to right-handed whipping, had to check off the heels of White Abarrio in deep stretch and swapped to his wrong lead, but kept plugging away. This was a huge effort for a horse racing for only the third time, in his stakes debut, and around two turns for the first time. If he goes to the Derby, he’s an all-or-nothing type. He’s either going to surge forward from the experience, or it may take so much out of him that he bounces to the moon. Long-term, he’s probably the one you’d want out of this field. Whether he’s the one you want five weeks hence is debatable, but he’s got quality. Simplification, who was third, was used leaving the gate to take up a stalking position just behind and outside Classic Causeway. He seemed a bit overeager late on the clubhouse turn when Pappacap came up outside him, then found himself inheriting the lead when Classic Causeway started his early retreat. He battled with Pappacap for supremacy around the far turn, got the best of Pappacap coming off the bend, was immediately challenged by White Abarrio, couldn’t stay with him, and lost the place late. He’s probably better when allowed to stalk and finish, and it didn’t help that he wound up on the rail the final three furlongs; colleague Mike Welsch, always attuned to the nuances of Gulfstream, said it was not the place to be on the day. Simplification is capable of better with a different trip, and owing to this race will be a far higher price on Derby Day than the 2-1 he was here. Pappacap, who was fourth, went into the first turn attending the pace from the three path and stayed in that spot down the backstretch. He and Simplification battled for the lead beginning 3 1/2 furlongs out when Classic Causeway began to yield, but he began to weaken just prior to entering the lane and couldn’t stay with the top three through the stretch. He’s had multiple chances at this level this year. He’s a cut below. :: Want the best bonus in racing? Get a $250 deposit match, $10 free bet, and free Formulator with DRF Bets. Code: WINNING O CAPTAIN, who was fifth, bumped with CLAPTON soon after that start, then worked his way into a midpack position in the two path around the first turn. He stayed in that spot to the far turn, was asked to pick it up then but had little response, got caught in some traffic nearing the quarter pole while trying to get through inside, tipped out coming off the bend, and made decent progress late once off the rail. STEAL SUNSHINE, who finished sixth, was hampered by his outside draw and wound up toward the rear of the field while in the three path around the first turn. He failed to keep up down the backstretch, was in the two path on the far turn, swung out in upper stretch, closed with some interest, and galloped out in front of the field. STRIKE HARD, who was seventh, was outrun into the first turn and trailed while saving ground. He raced three to four paths wide on the far turn, did not change leads coming off the bend, and was outrun throughout. CAJUN’S MAGIC, who was eighth, raced toward the back half of the field in the two path around the first turn, made a mild rally in the two to three path on the far turn and advanced as far as fifth in upper stretch, but flattened out late. He’ll be fine when back with his Florida-bred friends, preferably at a shorter trip. KING OF TRUTH, who was ninth, was placed under a sleeper hold leaving the gate and saved ground around the first turn while being restrained, then was yanked back even more when turning into the backside. He remained well back thereafter. He was overmatched in this spot, but the tactics were bizarre. He likely will face much softer next time, and might be an attractive wager with different tactics and/or a new rider. Clapton, who was 10th, bumped with O Captain soon after the start and was pushed to the four to five path early on the first turn. He was ridden along beginning before the half-mile pole, made some progress while working his way around Classic Causeway, then faltered badly the final furlong while on the slowest part of the track. Classic Causeway, who finished last of 11, broke sharply per usual and set off for the lead, with Simplification and Pappacap in pursuit. He rolled along on the front end around the first turn and down the backstretch while setting a solid pace, but began to falter after only six furlongs, and readily gave way. He was coming back in three weeks for the first time in his career, and he did run on the worst part of the track. But this was ugly. Hard to imagine him going to the Derby off this. Time to regroup. His seven-furlong debut at Saratoga last summer remains his career-best fig, and they have a nice Grade 1, seven-furlong race there for 3-year-olds in the summer named for the great Allen Jerkens.