Joseph sets sights on big race

Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph Jr landed only one win on Saturday at Gulfstream Park – but he has been expressing confidence in Florida Derby winner, White Abarrio in preparation for a scheduled start in the U.S. $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational on January 28th, 2023.

Joseph saddled 4-1 second choice Picking Up Pennies, which won by 1-1/2 lengths under Edgard Zayas, in the U.S. $87 000 penultimate race on the 11-race card.

Zayas put Picking Up Pennies into the lead from the five-path into the turn, and the four-year-old, bay gelding was never headed in the one-mile trip on the dirt to finish in a time of one minute, 36.95 seconds.

The win was the third for the New Year for the 35-year-old, who won the trainers’ championships at Gulfstream Park in each of the three seasons of racing last year in front of several Hall of Fame conditioners.

Meantime, the Joseph-conditioned White Abarrio set tongues wagging last Friday when he breezed five furlongs over the main track.

White Abarrio is one of 12 horses on the list of invitees for the World Cup released last Wednesday, and he clocked 59.16 seconds in the fastest of eight work-outs recorded at the distance.

“He went very well – his last quarter was 22-4/5 (seconds),” Joseph said. “He had a very strong finish – just what we were looking for. He’s in good order right now.”

But Joseph has been keeping the four-year-old, grey son of Race Day, in cotton wool, preferring to keep him out of the Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday Stakes, a prep for the World Cup that was won by the Joseph-trained Skippylongstocking. Another Joseph-trainee, O’Connor finished fourth.

The exercise last Friday was only the third for White Abarrio since he finished third in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on December 3 at Aqueduct in New York City, but he has impressed his trainer with his physical presence.

“(White Abarrio’s) best races come when he is fresh,” Joseph said. “He runs well fresh. Probably one of the reasons is that he puts so much into his works, you can get him fit with works. He’s not a horse that’s heavy that needs a race.

“He’s never been this strong. It’s probably the best he’s been in his life. That was the way he was three weeks before the Cigar Mile.”

White Abarrio has been joined by stablemates Skippylongstocking and O’Connor on the invitation list for the Pegasus.

“We’re thankful to our owners for the opportunities, “Joseph said. “We’re thankful to be in a position like this.” (CMC)