White Abarrio has uneven half-mile workout
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Another day, another topflight contender works out for the star-studded Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 8 at Saratoga.
Monday morning, White Abarrio, the 2023 Whitney winner, worked a half-mile in 47.77 seconds over Saratoga’s main track. It was his first work since his fourth-place finish behind Magnitude in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 27.
White Abarrio started about a length behind workmate Empress New Groove, but quickly drew on even terms before an opening quarter in 23.25. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., not wanting White Abarrio to go so fast, radioed to the exercise rider to slow down. The rider took a hold of White Abarrio, who stayed on his left lead until almost the length of the stretch before switching near the wire. He covered the last quarter in 24.52 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.44.
“I thought he went well, a little quick early, so we had to slow him down on the radio,” Joseph said. “They were supposed to go 49, probably 48 and change would have been all right, so he had to take a good hold.
“He didn’t switch his leads until the last sixteenth or a little after, that’s the only way you could pick it apart. A lot of energy, in hand, very good first work back. A little quicker than ideal, but quicker in the right way.”
Joseph said White Abarrio had lost weight when he shipped to Saratoga from Churchill after the Foster. He also had vanned from Florida to Louisville in the heat for the race.
“When he came here from Churchill you could see he lost a little weight, but you could see he put it back within eight days,” Joseph said. “So far, he’s had a good run here. We’ll have three works leading into the race. We’re happy with where we’re at.”
White Abarrio’s work came one day after the champion filly Nitrogen worked five furlongs in 1:00.04 over the main track, getting her final quarter in 23.76 while galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.98 and seven furlongs in 1:26.78. The main track was on the good side following Saturday’s rain.
“I wanted her to get something out of it; she did,” trainer Mark Casse said. “We weren’t going to breeze her and then the track looked so good when they harrowed it I said, ‘Let’s breeze her.’ ”
Casse said over the weekend that John Velazquez would ride Nitrogen in the Whitney.
The parade of Whitney workers began Friday when Baeza, the Stephen Foster runner-up, went five furlongs in 1:01.64. It continued Saturday when Magnitude went five furlongs in 1:03.09 and Sovereignty went five furlongs in 1:00.07.
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