White Abarrio, owned by C2 Racing Stable, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Antonio Pagnano, delivered a sensational performance in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park. The 6-year-old surged past pacesetter Saudi Crown on the far turn, took command entering the stretch, and cruised to a stakes-record 6 ¼-length win under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup, in its ninth running, highlighted a star-studded 13-race card that featured 10 stakes, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and the $500,000 TAA Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2). White Abarrio, the 5-2 second choice in the field of 11, completed the race in 1:48.05, eclipsing the previous record margin of victory set by City of Light in 2019.

Ortiz, earning his third Pegasus World Cup win after victories aboard Life Is Good (2022) and Mucho Gusto (2020), was full of praise for his mount. “We had so much confidence in him today. From the start, he felt like a winner,” he said.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who had two earlier wins on the day, celebrated his first Pegasus World Cup victory. White Abarrio had previously given Joseph one of Gulfstream’s biggest prizes, the $1 million Florida Derby (G1), back in 2022.

“I thought his Breeders’ Cup Classic was the best race of his life, but today was right there with it,” Joseph said. “Everything went perfectly, which doesn’t happen often. But when it does, it’s amazing.”

Saudi Crown, a Grade 1 winner, set the early pace, covering the opening quarter in 23.43 seconds and the half in 46.68. White Abarrio, sitting in a perfect stalking position in fifth, moved effortlessly on the outside approaching the turn. As the leaders began to tire, Ortiz let White Abarrio loose, and the horse responded with a breathtaking acceleration to leave his rivals behind.

“I knew we had it at the quarter pole,” Ortiz said. “He had so much left and just powered home.”

Locked, the 9-5 favorite, endured a troubled trip after breaking poorly from post 10. Despite racing wide and trailing much of the field early, he rallied strongly to claim second, a neck ahead of White Abarrio’s stablemate Skippylongstocking. Trainer Todd Pletcher was proud of Locked’s effort, calling it “probably the best race of his life.”

Skippylongstocking, making his third Pegasus appearance, secured third, followed by Mixto in fourth. Saudi Crown faded to fifth after setting the early pace. The order of finish was rounded out by Steal Sunshine, Crupi, Power Squeeze, Mystik Dan, Stronghold, and Newgrange. Vitality, a Canadian Triple Crown race winner, was scratched.

White Abarrio’s career has been marked by resilience and versatility. Originally trained by Joseph, he won multiple graded stakes before moving to Rick Dutrow Jr. in 2023. Under Dutrow’s care, he captured the Whitney (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic but returned to Joseph after uncharacteristic efforts overseas.

“This horse has been through a lot, but he’s come full circle,” co-owner Mark Cornett said. “He’s back where he belongs, and today proved it.”

With nine wins from 20 starts, including four Grade 1s, White Abarrio has now amassed $6,879,850 in earnings. His dominance at Gulfstream Park, where he is 7-for-9, continues to shine.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” said co-owner Clint Cornett. “We couldn’t be happier.”

Image: Gulfstream Park