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​Grade 1 winners White Abarrio, Zandon clash in G3 Westchester

by Mary Eddy

C Two Racing Stable and Antonio Pagnano's White Abarrio and Jeff Drown’s Zandon, both Grade 1 winners on last year’s Road to the Kentucky Derby, will face off in a competitive renewal of the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester for older horses traveling a one-turn mile on Friday at Belmont Park. 

The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained White Abarrio, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby, makes the second start of his 4-year-old campaign after a fever caused him to miss a start in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets on April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. He remained at Belmont Park to make his preparations for the Westchester over the last three weeks. 

“He’s doing really good,” said Joseph, Jr. “It took a couple days for him to bounce out of the fever, but he came back fine and is in good order right now. His rider, who has gotten on him his whole life, went up to Belmont with him and he knows him best – he said he’s very happy with how he’s been training.” 

White Abarrio arrives at the Westchester from a dominant victory in a key seven-furlong optional claimer on March 4 at his home base of Gulfstream Park, rallying from fourth-of-10 to take command at the stretch call and draw off under Tyler Gaffalione. He defeated returning rival Weyburn, next-out winner of the Sir Shackleton, by 4 1/2 lengths with next-out starter allowance winner Collaborate finishing third. The effort was awarded a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure. 

The Westchester will be White Abarrio’s third start around a one-turn mile, his other two efforts an allowance victory in his first start for Joseph, Jr. in October 2021 at Gulfstream and a game third-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in December at the Big A. 

Joseph, Jr. said White Abarrio should relish the return to one mile. 

“We’re excited to keep him at one turn from now on,” Joseph, Jr. “I think his class as a sophomore allowed him to excel beyond a mile because he was ahead of those horses at the time. As he got older, I think he’ll excel more at seven-eighths to a mile.”

White Abarrio first flashed his talents in his September 2021 debut with a 6 3/4-length victory for trainer Carlos Perez before being purchased privately and transferred to Joseph, Jr.’s care. He earned back-to-back graded stakes victories in his first two sophomore outings, scoring a prominent victory in the Grade 3 Holy Bull and an off-the-pace coup in the Grade 1 Florida Derby ahead of a 16th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. 

The grey son of Race Day made his seasonal bow with a distant eighth in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational in January at Gulfstream, but rebounded impressively when cutting back in distance to win his latest start. He has posted two works over the Belmont dirt training track, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:00.50 on Friday. 

“He’s tactical and hopefully he can put himself in a good spot,” said Joseph, Jr. “From there, we hope it all goes well.” 

Paco Lopez has the call from post 4. 

The Chad Brown-trained Zandon [post 7, Dylan Davis] breezed a half-mile in 48.88 seconds Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track before scratching out of a Saturday allowance at Aqueduct and rerouting to this spot for his 4-year-old debut. 

The dark bay son of Upstart was last seen finishing an even fourth in the Cigar Mile, finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind the bunched up top trio of Mind Control, Get Her Number, and White Abarrio to close out his sophomore season. 

Zandon put together a productive campaign last year, finishing third in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds Race Course ahead of a visually impressive 2 1/2-length score in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland where he rallied from last-of-11 at the three-quarters call and kicked clear down the stretch. 

He went on to hit the board in four other graded events last summer, including third-place finishes in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Travers, the latter of which garnered a career-best 105 Beyer. He finished a game second in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby in September three lengths behind the victorious Taiba. 

Brown will also saddle the New York-bred Dr Ardito [post 3, Manny Franco], who brings a formidable six-race win streak into his graded debut for the four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner. 

Owned by Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb, Dr Ardito’s impressive streak dates to a second-out graduation in April 2021 going the Westchester distance at Aqueduct. He was away from the races for 10 months before returning victoriously at allowance level last February and following with two more allowance victories, including a half-length score against open company in May.

The son of Liam’s Map, bred by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, was then given another lengthy respite before returning in January to earn an open-company allowance victory and make a successful stakes debut in the one-mile state-bred Haynesfield in February, landing a head triumph over multiple graded stakes-placed Bankit. 

Double B Racing Stables' Repo Rocks, runner-up in the Carter, will look to regain winning form for trainer Jamie Ness after suffering his first loss since being transferred to his current conditioner in November. 

The son of Tapiture raced in fourth-of-6 throughout the first two points of call under Andrew Wolfsont in the seven-furlong Carter, swinging five-wide in the turn and setting his sights on pacesetter Today’s Flavor at the top of the stretch. The 5-year-old gelding gained ground with every stride, but could not outrun fellow closer Doppelganger and settled for second 1 1/4 lengths behind that foe while preserving place honors by a nose over returning rival Expressman. 

“He came out of the last race fine and things are going well, so we should be ready to go,” said Ness. “We got a little wide trip in the Carter and he ran second when it wasn’t his ‘A’ effort, so we’ve got to be happy about that. To still run second in a Grade 1 that day says a lot.”

Ness said he expects Repo Rocks will benefit from a return to one mile. 

“A little more distance is better for him,” said Ness. “That might be his ideal distance. He’s a big horse with a big stride.” 

Repo Rocks posted a strong run of form for Ness heading into the Carter, notching four consecutive stakes scores that included a Grade 3 win in the Toboggan in January at the Big A and a follow-up win in the Stymie over the same course. He earned a field-best 111 Beyer for his Toboggan victory, pouncing from off the pace to win by a dominant 8 1/2 lengths. 

Repo Rocks has worked back once at Parx Racing since the Carter, covering a half-mile in a swift 47.68 seconds on Friday. 

“He likes to train aggressively and he’s responded well to that,” said Ness. 

Ruben Silvera picks up the mount from post 8. 

The aforementioned Expressman [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] is in search of his first stakes victory for owner St. Elias Stable and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The 4-year-old son of Liam’s Map had a tough trip in the Carter when he was bumped and steadied down the backstretch while vying for position. He re-rallied under Jose Ortiz to swing four-wide in the turn and made a late bid down the lane to come up just shy of place honors. 

Expressman earned a lofty 107 Beyer for his debut maiden victory in August at Saratoga Race Course where he led at each point of call and strolled home a 7 1/4-length winner. He has one additional win in four starts since, posting a hard-fought head victory in a February optional claimer at Gulfstream Park traveling nine-furlongs. 

Completing the field are The Players Group’s dual graded stakes-placed Bourbon Calling [post 1, Feargal Lynch], who has won three consecutive allowance tilts since being haltered for $32,000 by trainer Antonio Arriaga in November; Edward Potash, Brad Yankanich and trainer Jim Ryerson’s four-time winner Unbridled Bomber [post 5, Mychel Sanchez]; and Chiefswood Stables’ 2021 Grade 3 Gotham winner Weyburn [post 6, Trevor McCarthy], who posted a last-out repeat victory in Gulfstream’s Sir Shackleton for conditioner Jimmy Jerkens. 

The Westchester is slated as Race 8 on Friday’s nine-race card, which co-features the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay in Race 4. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern. 

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