White Abarrio Stuns Sovereignty and Journalism in Oaklawn Handicap Upset
White Abarrio rolled back the years at Oaklawn Park on April 18, 2026, upsetting reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty and 2025 Preakness winner Journalism to take the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in the fastest time since Hall of Famer Cigar ran the same race in 1995. The 7-year-old son of Race Day paid $9.20 at 3.60-1, picked up his seventh graded stakes win, and pushed his career earnings past $8.4 million.
It was supposed to be a two-horse rematch between the classic-winning 4-year-olds. Instead, White Abarrio, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. wrote their own script — and reminded the older-male division that the old gray is nowhere near done.
Race Recap: How White Abarrio Turned Back the Clock at Oaklawn
The $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap was billed as the comeback showdown between Sovereignty, off since romping in the 2025 Travers at Saratoga, and Journalism, last seen running fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar. White Abarrio was the quietly credentialed third choice on the tote, coming in off a runner-up effort in the January Pegasus World Cup.
From the rail in a six-horse field, White Abarrio was expected to use his tactical speed early. Sovereignty had other ideas. The odds-on favorite broke sharp under Junior Alvarado and took the lead into the first turn, with Journalism rolling up alongside him to apply the pressure.
Ortiz read it instantly, pulled White Abarrio back, and let the two classic winners fight each other through fractions of 23.13, 47.03, and 1:11.27. Sitting on the rail in fourth, the veteran was being gift-wrapped a trip.
Plan B: Irad Ortiz Jr.'s Tactical Masterclass
"I thought I was going to be on the lead," Ortiz said afterward. "But when I saw Sovereignty broke that sharp and I saw Journalism beside him, it was going to be a match race. I took my time and went to Plan B."
Plan B was a clinic. Ortiz tipped White Abarrio off the rail nearing the far turn, ranged up alongside the leaders at the quarter pole, and swung five wide into the stretch. Past the eighth pole the gray took command, and by the sixteenth pole the race was over. The final margin was two lengths, with Sovereignty holding second from Journalism by a length and a quarter.
The ride underlined why Ortiz is the jockey most trainers want on a live older horse in a big spot. When the race fell apart from the intended plan, he had a second plan ready before the field reached the clubhouse turn.
Fastest Oaklawn Handicap Since Cigar in 1995
White Abarrio stopped the clock in 1:47.49 for the 1 1/8 miles. That is the fastest running of the Oaklawn Handicap in 31 years — bettered only by Cigar's 1:47.22 in 1995. Cigar's stablemate Geri ran 1:47.52 the following year, and nobody had touched that mark since.
The name-dropping matters. Cigar was one of the great handicap horses of the modern era, and both he and Geri were trained by Bill Mott — the same Bill Mott who saddled Sovereignty in this race. The old master could not give his star Oaklawn trophy number three, but the history book now reads Cigar, Geri, White Abarrio.
On form, this was a 122-plus Equibase Speed Figure effort against two of the best 4-year-olds in training. It is not the performance of a horse on the way down.
Why White Abarrio Is Still Running: The Unfashionable Champion
Here is the part of the story that is starting to get real attention across racing forums: White Abarrio has the résumé of a horse who should already be retired to stud. Four Grade 1 wins, a Breeders' Cup Classic, $8.4 million in the bank — and, apparently, no American farm willing to stand him.
The issue is pedigree. He is by Race Day, a useful sire who died in South Korea, out of Catching Diamonds, a mare by Into Mischief with Tapit as the grand sire. The broodmare side is blue-chip. The sire line is not, and in the modern commercial stud market that is often what decides whether a champion gets a six-figure stud fee or gets the plane to Japan or Korea.
The California Chrome parallel is the one fans keep reaching for. A dual classic winner and two-time Horse of the Year, Chrome was also dismissed as pedigree-light by American breeders, eventually shipped to Japan, and now stands for a reported $6,440. That is the cautionary tale hanging over White Abarrio — and the reason his connections keep sending him into the deep end of the handicap division instead of cashing out.
For bettors, it creates an unusual and valuable situation. A lot of elite older horses disappear to the breeding shed the moment they produce a career-defining performance. White Abarrio keeps showing up, keeps running his race, and keeps being underestimated on the tote.
What's Next for White Abarrio in 2026: Betting Outlook
Joseph Jr. has not committed to a next start, but the pattern of the 2025 campaign points to two obvious targets. The Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes day is the traditional mid-year spot for the division's best. The Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga on August 1 is the prestige summer prize and carries an expenses-paid Breeders' Cup Classic berth for the winner.
From there, everything points toward a third crack at the Breeders' Cup Classic, this time at Del Mar — the track where he was controversially scratched at the gate in last year's Dirt Mile.
A few betting angles worth noting for the rest of the 2026 older-male division:
Value on the tote. White Abarrio paid $9.20 off a Breeders' Cup Classic win on his résumé. He is routinely dismissed at morning-line prices that do not match his best form, and that pattern will likely continue.
Trip-dependent. The Oaklawn win came from a stalking trip he was not meant to have. When he gets an honest pace to track and a clean run at the leaders, he beats nearly anyone. In a muddled pace scenario he is more vulnerable.
Age is a factor at 7. Even Joseph Jr. has been careful not to overrace him. Expect a spaced campaign of three or four starts before the Breeders' Cup, not a heavy schedule.
Breeders' Cup Classic futures. He will not be favored against the younger division leaders, but a 10-1 or bigger price on a two-time Classic-caliber horse who just beat the Horse of the Year is the kind of futures ticket worth considering.
Bet on White Abarrio's Next Start at MyWinners
MyWinners is your destination for Grade 1 horse racing wagering across the 2026 campaign. Follow White Abarrio through the Met Mile, the Whitney, and on to a potential third Breeders' Cup Classic start with win, place, show, exotic, and futures markets available throughout the season. Sign up, fund your account, and get your money down on the older-male division's most underrated champion.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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Image by Gabraidza — CC0 1.0 (Public Domain)
