White Abarrio is back to the form that saw him win the 2023 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. The 6-year-old trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. blitzed the opposition to win the $2,945,400 Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes, defeating slow-starting favorite Locked by 6 1/4 lengths on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.

Ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who won his third Pegasus World Cup, White Abarrio sat a perfect stalking trip and powered past pacesetter Saudi Crown entering the stretch. His winning time for 1 1/8 miles on dirt in 1:48.05 was the fastest in the Pegasus since Knicks Go was clocked in 1:47.89 in kicking off his Horse of the Year campaign in the race in 2021.

White Abarrio paid $7.60 to win before an enthusiastic crowd at Gulfstream Park and before a national television audience on NBC.

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The Pegasus gave White Abarrio a fourth career Grade 1 victory following the Breeders' Cup Classic win at Santa Anita Park. He also won the 2023 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and the 2022 Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park. The Breeders' Cup and Whitney wins came during a period of his career when White Abarrio was trained by Richard Dutrow Jr..

Racing in fifth early while between 2-3 lengths off fractions of :23.43, :46.68, and 1:10.79 set by Saudi Crown, White Abarrio commenced his charge on the second turn, rapidly gaining on leader. Heading into the stretch, the two runners distanced themselves from the other nine competitors and appeared they could be set for a stretch duel. Instead, White Abarrio dominated through the lane, opening up on Saudi Crown by mid-stretch with a mile in 1:35.44 and blowing the race open in the final furlong under Ortiz, the horse's rider for the seventh straight race.

"By the time I asked him, he really took off," Ortiz said. "He was home."

After embracing his excited staff, an emotional Joseph rushed to reach White Abarrio and the rider. Seeing Joseph trying to hold back tears, Ortiz told him, "You should be proud. You did a great job, Saffie."

Last-out Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by Twinspires.com winner Locked broke tardily as the favorite when his head was turned at the start from post 10 was able to close from eighth to grab second by a neck over another Joseph trainee, Skippylongstocking.

"Unfortunately, from that post you can't make any mistakes, and missing the break was really the one mistake you didn't want to make," said Locked's trainer, Todd Pletcher, who felt colt ran "probably the best race of his life."

Disappointing in the Pegasus was 2024 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve winner Mystik Dan, who after stalking the pace in third began to retreat late on the second turn to finish ninth.

Spirit of St Louis, Be Your Best Win Pegasus Undercard Features

Spirit of St Louis, a 6-year-old New York-bred gelding by Medaglia d'Oro, scored his first graded stakes win in the $1 million Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Qatar Racing on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Spirit of St Louis defeated Integration by a neck in a final time of 1:44.50 for 1 1/8 miles on the firm turf, just narrowly off the track record of 1:44.45 set by last year's Pegasus Turf winner Warm Heart.

Brown trains Spirit of St Louis for Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Richard Schermerhorn. It was Brown's second victory in the race. He won the inaugural edition of the Pegasus Turf in 2019 with eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar.

Integration finished second and Chasing the Crown was third. Mi Hermano Ramon finished fourth. – Charlie McCarthy

Be Your Best. (Eclipse Sportswire)

About an hour earlier on the card, Be Your Best sat a perfect trip right behind the pacesetting stablemate In Our Time, grabbed the lead mid-stretch under jockey Edgard Zayas and held off a late charge by Sacred Wish to prevail by a neck in the Grade 2 $490,880 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes presented by SirDavis American Whisky and give dominant south Florida trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his initial victory ever in one of the three Pegasus Day stakes races.

"This means a lot. It's our home track," said Joseph, who has won 11 straight training titles at Gulfstream Park. "This is what racing is all about. It is very special for us."

Be Your Best covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.06 over firm turf and paid $16.80. Sacred Wish finished second and In Our Time was third. – Bob Ehalt