Saratoga Notebook, Presented By NYRA Bets: Joseph Expects A Big Rebound From White Abarrio In Jockey Club Gold Cup

Wandering Eyes · August 30

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–After the last two starts, there may be those who gave up on White Abarrio (Race Day). Saffie Joseph Jr., the trainer of the 6-year-old gray horse, isn't one of them.

White Abarrio reappears at Saratoga on Sunday in the $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, a 1 1/4-mile test that has attracted some of the best older horses in the country.

GI Whitney Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone is here, so is fellow 'Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), winner of all three of his starts this year. Add Highland Falls (Curlin), the runner-up in the Whitney to the mix, and it's easy to see where White Abarrio could get lost in the shuffle.

White Abarrio was fourth in the Whitney last time out, beaten four lengths. The start before that, also at Saratoga, he was fourth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths in the GI Met Mile.

This is the same horse that won the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream by half a dozen lengths in January. In 2023, he won the Whitney and then took the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

Joseph is not ready to throw in the towel after the last two races because he sees signs that White Abarrio is doing just fine, thank you.

“We think he is sitting on one of his best efforts,” Joseph said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch. “It's hard to say he is going to be better than he was before the Pegasus, but we think he is peaking right now.”

After the Whitney, there was conversation about sending White Abarrio out west to run in the $1 million GI Pacific Classic, which was held Saturday. That plan was quickly scrapped when Joseph decided that White Abarrio, owned by C Two Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable LLC, would be better served running in the Whitney.

Joseph had said if White Abarrio stayed home, he was doing so because he had a big shot to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“No matter what I say, it doesn't matter,” he said. “He has to do it on race day. I can only tell you what I am seeing. If he gets the right kind of trip, he is going to run as fast as he has run in his better races. Hopefully that is good enough on the day. Most of the time, it is.”

White Abarrio will be ridden for the first time by jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. Irad Ortiz Jr has been on board for White Abarrio's last 10 starts, but he will be on Mindframe in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Santana did get on White Abarrio for his last work, a half mile in 48.22 (12/48) on Aug. 21.

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Antiquarian schools | Sarah Andrew

Pletcher Gives a Warning About Antiquarian

The big horse in Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's barn is running in the $1 million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sunday. Mindframe (Constituiton) is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line.

Pletcher has another horse running in the 1 1/4-mile race and that is Antiquarian (Preservationist) and he is lost in the shuffle in the eight-horse field (Banishing (Ghostzapper) who was entered, will scratch).

That could be a mistake if you listen to Pletcher.

“You probably should not sleep on him,” Pletcher said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track.

That's because the Centennial Farms color bearer usually shows up.

In eight career starts, the 4-year-old has three wins and three seconds. This year, he has a win (allowance) and a pair of seconds in graded stakes races. Most recently, he was beaten a head in the GII Suburban Stakes at Saratoga on the Fourth of July.

That race was won by Phileas Fogg (Astern {AUS}), who is also running back in the Jockey Club Gold Cup for trainer Gus Rodriguez.

Antiquarian was the 5-2 second choice in the Suburban behind 4-5 favorite and stablemate Locked (Gun Runner).

“He shows up and he runs hard every time,” Pletcher said. “He surged one stride too late (in the Suburban).”

In the race before the Suburban, Antiquarian ran his race again, in the GIII Blame at Churchill Downs. Send off at 9-1 in that one, he finished second, 1 1/4 lengths behind 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (Goldencents).

Pletcher has been satisfied with Antiquarian's training here since the Suburban. He will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, his regular jockey, on Sunday.

“He has had a couple of tough beats this year,” Pletcher said. “But I like the way he is coming into this. Keeping my fingers crossed.”

Casse Hopeful of a Strong Saratoga Finish

It's been a Saratoga summer to remember for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. He won the GI Alabama Stakes for the first time with Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro). Earlier in the meet, he recorded his 4,000th career win, although it didn't come here.

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Curtain Call (outside) | Sarah Andrew

Casse was at Kentucky Downs Saturday to watch his horses–particularly Sandman (Tapit) in the GIII $3.5 million Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes–run.

He'll be back in Saratoga Sunday and will be anxious to watch his 2-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' Curtain Call (Tiz the Law) in the $300,000 GI Hopeful Stakes on Monday, closing day of the 40-day Saratoga meet.

Curtain Call, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, is the 9-2 co-third choice on the Hopeful morning line. Casse has never won the Hopeful; before this year, he had also never won the Alabama.

“I want to win the Hopeful,” Casse said outside his barn at the Saratoga backstretch before he left for Kentucky. “I have been excited about Curtain Call for a long time.”

Casse said that he told jockey Jose Ortiz, who has ridden the colt in both of his starts, that he thought Curtain Call could be something special.

“I told him he was going to ride a horse that will be the next Sandman,” Casse said, referring to his 3-year-old who won the GI Arkansas Derby this year.

After a second-place finish in his debut at Churchill Downs on June 12, he came to Saratoga where he broke his maiden in a big way on the third day of the meet. He romped to an 8 1/2-length win over a sloppy track going six furlongs.

“He ran just ok in the first one,” Casse said. “Then he ran big here. He trains like a good horse and does everything like a good horse. The Hopeful will be interesting.”

Curtain Call was a $325,000 purchase at the 2025 Ocala Breeders' March 2-year-olds in training sale.

Terry Finley, the President and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, said his group has four other horses in Casse's care besides Curtain Call.

“I have always been a big fan of his,” Finley said. “I love that he is not afraid to speak his mind. What I like most about him is that he is constantly thinking. He is the leader, there is no doubt about that and is fun to watch. Really, I think he is like a Renaissance Man in our business.”