White Abarrio works five furlongs ahead of Met Mile
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ELMONT, N.Y. – White Abarrio stepped up his preparations for the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap on June 10 by working a strong five furlongs in 59.31 seconds on Tuesday over the Belmont Park main track.
According to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch, White Abarrio went his first three furlongs in 35.74 and his last quarter in 23.57. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.74 and seven furlongs in 1:25.34. Irad Ortiz Jr., who ride White Abarrio to a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct last December, was aboard for the work. Ortiz is expected to ride in the Met Mile.
It was the first workout for White Abarrio since his owners, C2 Racing, transferred him to Richard Dutrow Jr. from Saffie Joseph Jr. That transfer had to do with Joseph and the New York Racing Association coming to a mutual agreement that Joseph wouldn’t run horses in New York until there is more clarity on what may have caused the sudden death of two of Joseph’s horses at Churchill Downs.
“He’s a nice horse, he liked the track and Irad said he was going good,” Dutrow said. “He said he didn’t really ask him for anything, just galloping out he wanted to keep his mind on his business and he couldn’t be happier with him. So, I kind of feel the same way.”
White Abarrio, who won the Grade 1 Florida Derby in April 2022, hasn’t run since he captured an allowance on March 4 at Gulfstream. He had shipped to New York for the Grade 1 Carter on April 8, but missed that race due to a temperature. He was then entered in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 5 at Belmont before being re-routed to the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on May 6. White Abarrio was forced to scratch from the Churchill Downs, owing to the unexplained deaths of two horses who ran three days apart at Churchill.
Master Piece to miss Manhattan
The Chilean-bred Master Piece was another horse transferred from Joseph to Dutrow, this one by owner Mike Iavarone and his partners. Master Piece was pointing to the Grade 1 Manhattan, also on June 10, before he got sick after arriving in New York by van from Florida.
Dutrow said Master Piece spent two days at Ruffian Cornell Equine Specialists, a hospital of sorts for horses across the street from Belmont Park. He returned to Dutrow’s barn on Monday.
“He’s back now, and he looks like a different horse since he’s been back,” Dutrow said. “He’s eating, looks like he’s happy enough, so I guess he’ll go back to the track in a couple of days.”
Dutrow said doctors advised him to walk Master Piece for three days before he can resume training.
“We’ll let him come around and see what’s next for him, I don’t know,” Dutrow said.
Master Piece won the Grade 2 Eddie Read last summer at Del Mar. Most recently, he finished third in the Grade 2 Pan American on April 1 at Gulfstream Park.
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