“He Was Turning Perfect”: After Winning Major Grade 1 Equestrian Race, Famed Jockey Worth $288,373,799 Goes Candid

Irad Ortiz and White Abarrio were not planning to enter the $1 million Whitney. They were preparing for the G1 seven-furlong Forego stakes, which will take place on August 26. However, the horse’s owner and trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., wanted to test White Abarrio’s abilities against top competition. The team had to pay $7,500 simply to enter the horse in the equestrian race. But White Abarrio’s performance at the Whitney proved to be worth the investment.

Both Dutrow and White Abarrio needed this win. Dutrow had been looking for a big victory to boost his reputation as a trainer. On the other hand, White Abarrio needed a strong performance to solidify his standing as a top racehorse in the industry. This partnership has helped Dutrow gain recognition as a skilled trainer, and White Abarrio has also established himself as a formidable competitor.

A winning equestrian partnership

Saffie Joseph Jr. used to train White Abarrio in the past. But under Joseph, the horse was not flourishing to reach his full potential. Therefore, after the Met Mile on June 10, where the steed finished third, Dutrow’s stables bought him. Dutrow has worked with the horse and helped it achieve at least two bullet ratings. But the horse had won his last stakes in 2022 at the Florida Derby. There was already some chatter among the racing fans that Dutrow had lost his touch since his decade-long suspension. The ace trainer had enjoyed his last graded-stakes victory in 2012 when Willy Beamin won the King’s Bishop. He was dying to prove the naysayer wrong, and White Abarrio gave him the perfect opportunity.

Horse Racing Nation broke the news on their Twitter account with a statement that read, “Jockey @iradortiz on White Abarrio winning the Whitney to give trainer Richard Dutrow his first stakes win since December 2012”. The tweet came with a video clip where White Abarrio’s jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr. commented on the great performance of the horse. He said, “Ended up in a perfect position, backside waiting, he was turning perfect, turning for home”. Ortiz also added, “I knew he was going to break good,” showing his trust in the horse, which was more than what his trainer had expected of him.

White Abarrio’s win shocked the trainer

Dutrow confessed after the race on Saturday that he hadn’t thought White Abarrio would win but knew that the horse would deliver a great performance. It was a great performance indeed, where the horse finished the race with a 6 1/4 lengths distance between himself and the pack. Like everyone else, Dutrow thought fan-favorite Cody’s Wish would take the $550,000 winner’s purse home. However, from the start, White Abarrio ran with great purpose, with only Giant Game keeping him company. But when Giant Game ran out of stamina, White Abarrio maintained his pace.

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Cody’s Wish failed miserably, and his jockey Júnior Alvarado was in shock at the loss. White Abarrio had 10-1 odds and paid out $22.40 for every $2 in bet. The Whitney is a qualifying match for the Breeders’ Cup. With this win, White Abarrio is charged for his world championships to be held at Santa Anita later this year.