Hallandale Beach, Florida — If there is such a thing as a home track advantage in horse racing, it’s no surprise that it is this White Apario He won the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. He accelerated easily in the stretch to win by 6 lengths.
It was White Abarrio’s ninth win in 20 starts, including a win in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita. He has won seven times in nine races at Gulfstream Park. Gulfstream’s previous highlight came in 2022 when he won the Florida Derby. The Pegasus World Cup is the country’s richest race, outside of the Breeders’ Cup. White Abarrio, driven by Irad Ortiz Jr., pushed back. , $7.60 to win.
Locked finished second, followed by Skippylongstocking, also trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Mixto, trained by Santa Anita resident Doug O’Neill, Saudi Crown, Steal Sunshine, Crupi, Power Squeeze, Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, and winner Santa Anita Derby. Ford, trained by Phil D’Amato, and Newgrange.
“He needed to break down,” Joseph said of Wyatt Apario. “He didn’t break his serve the last two times and the break was important. He was able to have the flight of his dreams. Once he gets clear, that’s when he naturally runs his best race. Everything fell into place today. I’m just grateful to have experienced this.”
It was also the second major win of the day for trainer Joseph, who also won the World Cup Fillies and the $500,000 Mare Turf with Be Your Best ($16.80 to win).
This is the second ride for Joseph, who owned the horse until March 2023 when he was transferred to trainer Rick Dutrow, who won the Classic with the 6-year-old. But two poor starts in the Saudi Cup (10th) and the Dead Mile (5th) prompted the owners to return the horse to Joseph.
Saudi Crown broke at the top and maintained the lead in the 1 1/8-mile race until the top of the stretch when White Apario easily dispatched him by widening the lengths.
Spirit of St. Louis ($17.80) won the $1 million World Cup Turf Invitational for trainer Chad Brown by a neck. There were three Southern California horses in the race, and none of them hit the board. Mi Hermano Ramon finished fourth ahead of Mark Glatt. Palnikov, trained by Phil D’Amato was 10th and The Colossal Man, by Michael McCarthy was 12th and last.
Be Your Best finished a nose in front in the 1 1/8 mile filly and mare Turf Invitational. The 5-year-old mare ran just ahead of the leader, then moved about sixteen miles to go and stopped at the wire.
Control Tower, trained by Richard Baltas, was the only Southern California participant in the Turf Invitational. She placed ninth in the 11-horse race. Watchtower’s best race was in October at Santa Anita, where she won the fall Miss Stakes.
D’Amato was running with another horse on Saturday. Rockemperor finished 11th in the 12-horse William L. Knight Stakes for horses over one mile on turf. Goldeneye was a scratch for coach Peter Yorton.
O’Neill’s driver Mucho Del Oro crashed at the start and never raced, finishing sixth in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint. The 10-time winner (in 20 races) was the third bettor in the five-furlong race.
