Spendthrift-bred White Abarrio’s Breeders’ Cup Classic win marks new milestone for Into Mischief
November 7, 2023
2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic-G1 champion White Abarrio | Nicole Finch photo
Saturday’s win in the Breeders Cup Classic-G1 at Santa Anita could make Spendthrift-bred White Abarrio the first champion born and raised on the farm since Landaluce in 1982. The monumental win also marked the newest milestone for super-sire Into Mischief who joined Awesome Again, Distorted Humor, Street Cry, Deputy Minister, Alydar, Seattle Slew and Relaunch as the only eight stallions to be the sire and broodmare sire of a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner. Into Mischief sired Horse of the Year Authentic who defeated older horses when winning the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
White Abarrio is a son of two-time Grade 2 winner Race Day, and was the first foal out of the Into Mischief mare Catching Diamonds. Born at Spendthrift in 2019, White Abarrio was sold to owner C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable. A two-time winner as a juvenile in 2021, White Abarrio notched his first graded stakes victory in the 2022 Holy Bull-G2 at Gulfstream followed by the Florida Derby-G1 in his next start, putting him on the Triple Crown trail.
Trained by Richard Dutrow this year as a 4-year-old, White Abarrio showed immense improvement and re-reached the top of his class in the handicap division. He finished third in the Met Mile-G1 at Belmont behind champion Cody’s Wish and Zandon, and later turned the tables by defeating both of those rivals in the storied Whitney-G1 at Saratoga. That victory made him one of the favorites heading into the Breeders Cup Classic, where he proved best over the stellar field in 2:02.87 for 1 1/4 miles under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
White Abarrio has now earned $4,946,350 with 7 wins from 15 starts to date. Plans are for him to race as a 5-year-old in 2024, as White Abarrio’s connections have targeted the $20 million Saudi Cup-G1 in February. His dam Catching Diamonds continues to reside at Spendthrift and has a 2023 filly weanling by Yaupon. She is currently in foal to Constitution for 2024.