May 3, 2022; Louisville, KY, USA; A stable staff member pets Kentucky Derby entry White Abarrio following morning workouts at Churchill Downs. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
ARCADIA, California (Reuters) -White Abarrio won the 40th Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park in Southern California by a length on Saturday, delivering trainer Rick Dutrow his second win in the $6 million race after he served a 10-year suspension.
The favorite broke well and made his move around the far turn, passing Arabian Knight down the stretch and holding off a late challenge from Japan's Derma Sotogake, who was second.
Proxy finished a neck in front of Arabian Knight to claim third.
The victory for Dutrow comes after the American completed a 10-year ban from the sport in January for medical violations.
"I don't know how I'm feeling right now," an emotional Dutrow said after the race.
"It's incredible stuff what I'm going through."
Dutrow, 63, credited the white four-year-old colt and jockey Irad Ortiz for the triumphant trip around the 1-1/4 fast dirt track in 2:02.87.
"I felt that he was a winner all of the way around," Dutrow said.
"He broke good. He was setting off a couple of horses in front of him, which he liked. He came up on the outside of them. When he did that I knew we had nothing in our way, it was only a matter of someone coming to catch us."
Dutrow previously won the Classic in 2005 with Saint Liam and trained 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown.
He had his license revoked in 2011 for 10 years and was fined $50,000 by New York racing officials. Dutrow denied any wrongdoing but his appeals proved unsuccessful.
It was the second Classic win for Ortiz, who guided Vino Rosso to victory in 2019.
"I just let him do his thing and I don't get in his way," Ortiz said of Kentucky-bred White Abarrio.
"Everything came out perfect."
Dutrow said he hopes the victory will help jumpstart his career after his lengthy exile.
"Hopefully it helps me pick up nicer horses and more higher and quality clients because I want to be around good horses," he told reporters.
"I'm very lucky to be around (White Abarrio) right now. I don't have a stable packed with good horses, and that's really what I want, and I'm going to be striving for it.
I'm going to be calling everybody tomorrow when I get done with Disneyland and say, hey, I am ready for some horses here. Can you guys send me some horses? Believe me."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Arcadia, California; Editing by Ken Ferris)
