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2025 Pegasus World Cup


Irad Ortiz Jr. celebrates aboard White Abarrio after winning the 2025 Pegasus World Cup

Pegasus World Cup Turf and Filly and Mare Turf results
Undercard stakes results

Date: 1/25/2025

The 9th running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for older horses was contested on Saturday afternoon at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Conditions were excellent in South Florida, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70's, with the main track rated fast. Locked was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 11 off his win in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct. In to challenge him included 11-4 second choice White Abarrio, second in the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) in December and 5th in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) last June, and 4-1 third choice Saudi Crown, winner of the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds after finishing last of 13 in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

The horses break from the gate for the Pegasus World Cup

Jockey Florent Geroux sent Saudi Crown to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.43, 46.68, and 1:10.79 while pressed by 7-1 fourth choice Stronghold and stalked by 12-1 Mystik Dan. Turning for home Saudi Crown and Stronghold tired as White Abarrio, 5th early, swept to the lea 4 wide through 1 mile in 1:35.44. Kept to task by Irad Ortiz Jr., White Abarrio drew off late to win by 6 1/4 lengths over late-running favorite Locked in 1:48.05. It was a neck back to Skippylongstocking third.

Pgm  Horse                Jockey        Win  Place  Show
 4   White Abarrio      Ortiz Jr.      7.60   3.80  3.00
11   Locked             Velazquez             3.20  2.40
10   Skippylongstocking Gaffalione                  4.40

Winning Time:  1:48.05

$1 Exacta 4-11               12.90
$1 Trifecta 4-11-10          68.50
$1 Superfecta 4-11-10-1     687.20
Results Chart

Left: White Abarrio heads to the winner's circle. Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said, "This horse wants to win so bad. I knew we wanted to be close, but definitely the horse helps when he breaks like that, he makes everything easier. Saffie told me after the last race, the horse did something he never did before, he came from off the pace [after a slow start], he had traffic.”

Right: The trophy presentation for the Pegasus World Cup. Winning co-owner Clint Cornett said, "Yeah, we were 100 percent confident we could get back with this horse. This horse has taken us on an unbelievable ride. I called Mark in 2021 and said, let's jump back in this game. I had no idea it would be this good. This is a once in a lifetime horse right here. I couldn't be happier for Saffie, his entire team. They do an incredible job, not only with this horse, but every one of the horses we have in this barn. We're just ecstatic. Irad, we love you, brother. You're our man. We appreciate everything."

Left: White Abarrio walks over before the race. Winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said, "This allows you to heal because of what we went through and then we had to give up the horse at that time. And that was the correct thing. I thought what healed me a lot was when I got the horse back. That the owners would give me the horse back after he won the Breeders' Cup Classic for a different trainer, that meant a lot to me. We kind of came up with a plan, an allowance at seven furlongs and then back in the Mr. Prospector at seven furlongs. We followed the same plan that worked before we had to give him up. It's God's writing. That's all I can tell you. It's beyond my thinking. It's beyond my capability. All credit to the horse. Today in the paddock, he just showed everything like he wanted to do it for us. I'm grateful to White Abarrio.”

Right: White Abarrio in the post parade. Winning co-owner Mark Cornett said, "Nobody lost faith in the horse. We kind of mapped out a plan from this race backwards. We went back and analyzed the two races prior to the big race he ran in the Whitney. They were both one turn races, and I kind of wanted to copy that. There's just something about it where the horse really excels coming off of two sprint-type races."


Left: Irad Ortiz Jr. celebrates after the race. Ortiz added, "We had a lot of faith in him if he broke with the field today. I was very focused on my horse at the break. Then I was watching Saudi Crown, I didn't want to be too far from him. But I never had to ask him, he was doing it by himself, he was improving his position without me asking. By the time I asked him, he really took off. He was home; I looked at the TV and I could see, he was home."

Right: White Abarrio gets hosed off after the race. Joseph added, "He was showing great signs on the Ragozin sheet numbers, the same kind of progression that he was supposed to show to break through. But all of that doesn't mean anything. That's what happened. It's not what's going to happen. He needed to break. He didn't break the last couple times, and the break was going to be important. And he was able to get his dream trip. Once he gets into the clear that's when he really runs normally his best race. Everything aligned today, and all glory to God. I'm just thankful to experience this.”

Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Locked in the post parade. Trainer Todd Pletcher said, "I thought he ran probably the best race of his life. He had his head turned at the start and got away last and it's a lot to overcome from the 10 post to begin with. He gave up a lot of position early [but] I thought he closed really well. Johnny [Velazquez] said he thought he would have won if he broke with the field, but he didn't. He's still a very lightly raced horse. He is what we thought, that the further he goes the better he'll get. Unfortunately, from that post you can't make any mistakes, and missing the break was really the one mistake you didn't want to make.”

Right: Third place finisher Skippylongstocking walks over before the race. Jockey tyler Gaffalione said, "When Locked came up outside of me my horse kind of switched leads and shied away from him. It might have cost us a little but nonetheless I'm very proud of him. He's definitely showing that he can change tactics. Today we were able to save ground, he went inside of horses and took some dirt no problem. If he can continue to improve like that he's definitely got one of these with his name on it.”


The start of the Pegasus World Cup with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (9) on the outside. Florent Geroux aboard pacesetter Saudi Crown (post 2) said, "We went straight to the lead. I was nice and comfortable, setting decent fractions, and just got overtaken by the winner before the quarter pole. From there he struggled the last eighth of a mile.”

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