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| Staff Writer |
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Rick Dutrow compares his top horse White Abarrio, to the form he was in when winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, as they gear up for the US$20 million Saudi Cup on Saturday, the main event of the two-day racing meeting.
The remarkable grey 5YO claimed a remarkable victory in the Group One race at Santa Anita in November, and now aims to conquer the most prestigious race in the world - the Gr.1 Saudi Cup.
As he reminisced about his remarkable triumph in the Breeders' Cup, in preparation for the world's most lucrative race, Dutrow remarked, "I was confident he would win as soon as they turned for home."
“I didn’t have a lot of words for him, I was talking to Irad [Ortiz Jr], but I just gave him a hug – he deserved it.”
After the Breeders’ Cup, HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdulaziz acquired White Abarrio, who will now compete in Saturday’s main event adorned in the colors of his Red Stable.
US-based Dutrow is clearly looking forward to the challenge ahead in Saudi, as he said: “All the work has been done with him and he’s in a zone that I wish every horse that ever lived was in that kind of zone.
“When he ran in the Breeders’ Cup he went back in his stall the whole day, he went into a zone. This horse is so much like a human being, he’s so aware of everything having to do with him. He didn’t want to come out for his candies, he was serious about what he was doing! It’s exciting, if he does that in Saudi, I’m going to be licking my lips the whole way to the paddock with him!”
Emily Ellingwood, White Abarrio's regular exercise rider, shared Dutrow's comments.
“There’s not really too much pressure, me and Rick, we communicate on a daily basis. Pretty much we let him [White Abarrio] tell us what he wants to do and we go based off of how he’s doing.
“After the Breeders’ Cup, we did a lot of jogging, gave him time off, let him recover. He ran a huge race and we’re very proud of him, so he’s definitely ready for the next step. He feels 110 percent, he pretty much feels the same as he did when he went into the Breeders’ Cup,” she said.
The only obstacle for Dutrow's stable star to achieve glory in The Saudi Cup is whether his horse can adjust well after the long trip from the US.
Dutrow said: “He just breezed this morning, man he looked good. What looks better is seeing Emily’s face after the breeze, that is striking man. You can just tell that there’s no way that he could be doing any better, just by seeing her face.
“The only thing he needs to nail is to get over the trip the right way. If he does that he’s going to be a tough customer to beat because this mile and an eighth around one turn, it seems as though they called him up and said, ‘Hey, what do you want to do here?’, and he would say to them, “Make it a mile and an eighth around one turn.’
For the Dutrow team the excitement of a tilt at the world’s most valuable race is now palpable.
“I’m shaking right now, I mean this is exciting stuff man – a US$20 million race, my mum’s going crazy! I mean my dad used to run for US$10,000… we were so happy, now a US$20 million race, she can’t believe it.”