C Two Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio (Race Day), who finished last-of-seven in Saturday's GI Whitney at Saratoga, will be evaluated further before any decisions are made, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said on Sunday.
The 7-year-old won the 2023 Whitney ahead of capturing that year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic for then trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.
“He bounced out good, looked good [Sunday] morning, checked out well,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Obviously, not the effort we wanted. Never want your horse to run like that. Don't really have a reason, when horses run like that, there is always a reason. Obviously, there's physical, it could be illness, it could be respiratory. We know it's not physical because he checked out fine physically. He did cough a lot after the race, which is abnormal for him, he coughed maybe 15 times, scoped fine, trace mucus, but I can't tell you why he ran poorly.”
The track took on some rain around two races earlier and White Abarrio's regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. took off his mounts midway through the card with a foot injury, replaced by Micah Husbands in the Whitney.
“The track did have moisture,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We went on the track, it felt wet. It rained, but it looked fine to the eye, so it is so hard to say with horses, that's what makes the game so challenging, right?”
Joseph, Jr. said that nothing is finalized, but after the Whitney misfire and a prior fourth in the GI Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs, White Abarrio is under consideration for retirement. He is 28-11-3-3 with over $8.5 million in earnings.
“He came out safe and healthy, that's the most important thing. He doesn't owe us anything. We're going to give it a few days to see what the future is, but it's not a performance that we wanted, maybe that would be the closing of a stellar career,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I think he'll go on in the future to hopefully pass on his genes to become a very good stallion. There's no sense in rushing to a decision. Give it a few days, let everyone talk, put their heads together, let the horse tell us, show us and then decide.”
Before his recent defeats, White Abarrio captured the GII Oaklawn Handicap in April over Whitney-winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief).
“It was a hard time [yesterday] to watch him not run well. On the drive back from the front side to the barn to check on him, it goes through your head, 'maybe this is it.' It very well could be, but everybody has to get together, put their heads together, and decide what to do,” Joseph, Jr. said.
Also trained by Joseph, C Two Racing Stable, Mathis Stable and TCC Stables' Forged Steel (Vekoma), who was scratched from the Whitney, will target the GI Pacific Classic on Aug. 22 at Del Mar. The 4-year-old gray worked a solo half-mile in :47.50 on Sunday over the Spa main track.
“He's going to go to the Pacific Classic,” Joseph, Jr. confirmed. “Very good work, solo by himself, :48 and change, out in a minute and change, so a very good work. He's on target for the Pacific Classic.”
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