White Abarrio upsets '25 Triple Crown stars in weekend horse racing

April 20 (UPI) -- Last year's Triple Crown heroes bowed to the old guy in Saturday's $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap, as 7-year-old White Abarrio blew past Horse of the Year Sovereignty and familiar rival Journalism to win going away.

The beatdown of 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty and Preakness winner Journalism wasn't the continuation of a classic rivalry most fans expected. But there were extenuating circumstances, and it's very likely they'll meet again later in the year, anyway.

The race didn't shape up as predicted. Sovereignty and Journalism started well, and White Abarrio's jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., who had expected to be in the lead, took back to fourth, saving ground.

Turning into the stretch, the 4-year-olds simply ran out of steam and White Abarrio found to resistance as he swept by outside them.

Noting the quality of the competition, winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said, "We felt like he was going to run his best when his best may not have been good enough and it surely was. ... Today, we were rewarded in one of the best races in a long, long time. It really materialized, the matchup."

Meanwhile, at Keeneland, Stars and Stripes collared the pacesetter, Batten Down, inside the sixteenth pole in Saturday's $350,000 Grade III Ben Ali at Keeneland and defeated that rival by 1/2 length. Both are trained by Bill Mott, providing some counterpoint to Sovereignty's defeat in Arkansas.

Stars and Stripes, a 4-year-old Not This Time colt, got 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.34 with Luis Saez aboard.

The Triple Crown

Trainer Chad Brown has removed Grade I Blue Grass runner-up Ottinho from the Kentucky Derby field, creating a slot for the Bill Mott-trained Chief Wallabee, second in the Grade II Fountain of Youth and third in the Florida Derby (G1).

Mott, whose son, Riley, has two horses in the Derby field, had been without a starter until Ottinho made room. Another defection would move Grade II Risen Star Stakes runner-up Chip Honcho into the 20-horse field. His trainer, Steve Asmussen, is looking in at the Run for the Roses.

Looking two weeks farther down the Triple Crown trail, Saturday's Preakness Preview Day at Laurel Park might have lived up to the name, as Taj Mahal won the $100,000 Federico Tesio Stakes for 3-year-olds by 8 1/4 lengths, remaining undefeated after three starts.

The race is a win-and-you're-in event for the Preakness, but the last horse to win both was Deputed Testamony in 1983.

At Oaklawn Park, Crupper took the point on the backstretch run in Saturday's $200,000 Bathhouse Row Stakes and then held off a late bid by Chad Allen to win by 1/2 length.

The Oaks fillies

Ivy Girl, at odds of 26-1, came from last of eight to win Saturday's $100,000 Weber City Miss at Laurel Park, a local prep for the Black-Eyed Susan on Preakness weekend. The Maxfield filly edged fellow closer A.P.'s Girl by 1 1/2 lengths.

In Arkansas, another longshot, Holly's Holiday, chased down Grace is Free in the late going to win Saturday's $200,000 Valley of the Vapors Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths.

Distaff

Alpine Princess found a narrow opening through rivals at the top of the stretch in Friday's $400,000 Grade II Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, dueled with the favorite, Eunomia, and prevailed by a neck.

The 5-year-old Classic Empire mare ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.09 for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and trainer Brad Cox.

Simply Joking certainly wasn't fooling around in Sunday's $100,000 Grade III Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old Practical Joke filly, the odds-on favorite, worked quickly to the front and extended her lead to a 6 3/4-length victory.

Sprint

Solitude Dude rallied wide into the stretch in Saturday's $150,000 Bay Shore for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct, challenged with a furlong to run and got off to a 2-length victory. His only loss in five starts was a third-place finish in the Grade II Fountain of Youth.

Turf

Burnham Square, sixth in last year's Kentucky Derby, now sparkles on grass. He showed his heels to 10 rivals in the final furlong of Saturday's $400,000 Grade II VisitLEX Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland, accelerating to a 9 3/4-length victory.

Desvio was best of the rest as Burnham Square, a Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred by Liam's Map, ran 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:32.55 with Brian Hernandez at the controls.

Turf mile

Almendares rallied from last of seven to win Saturday's $100,000 Grade III American Stakes at Santa Anita by a neck with Genius Jimmy best of the rest.

And One More Time was out front the whole way in Friday's $150,000 Plenty of Grace Stakes for fillies and mares at Aqueduct and scored by 3/4 length over Oversubscribed.

Summerintahoe led from the start in Saturday's $100,000 Dahlia Stakes for fillies and mares at Laurel Park and survived a late challenge from Mahra's Love by a nose in course-record time of 1:34.60.

The record lasted exactly four races -- until Cruise the Nile cruised from mid-pack to win the $100,000 Henry S. Clark Stakes by a neck over Horsepower in 1:33.85.

Turf sprint

It was another busy weekend for the turf burners.

Outlaw Kid prevailed by a neck over Chasing Liberty in Saturday's $100,000 King T. Leatherbury Stakes at Laurel, lowering the course record for 5 1/2 furlongs to 1:09.59.

Reb Five led home a parade of long shots in Sunday's $300,000 Palisades Stakes for 3-year-olds at Keeneland, winning by a neck over Throckmorton.

Later Than Planned won Saturday's $100,000 John Shear Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita by 1 1/2 lengths over Track Tiger.

Around the world, around the clock

Japan

Lovcen served notice he's headed for more than second place in this year's divisional championship voting with a course-record victory in Sunday's Grade 1 Satsuki Sho or Japanese 2,000 Guineas -- the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown.

The World Premier colt was runner-up to Cavallerizzo for champion 2-year-old colt honors after those two split December's big Grade 1 events.

Lovcen, whose record and pedigree argue for more distance, led all the way in the 2,000-meter Satsuki Sho and shook off a persistent challenge from Realize Sirius to win by 3/4 length.

Cavallerizzo, who had never raced beyond 1,600 meters, stuck close to the leaders into the stretch turn but then faded to finish 13th as Lovcen was clocked at 1:56.5, shaving 0.1 second off the course record.

Australia

Fireball bravely held off the favorite, Campione d'Italia by a neck in Saturday's Group 1 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes for 2-year-olds, with Diameter just another neck back in third. Chris Waller trains all three.

Beiwacht, another from the Waller yard, led throughout in the Group 1 Schwepps All Aged Stakes and edged clear at the end of the 1,400 meters to win by 1 length. The 3-year-old Godolphin homebred colt, by Bivouac, scored his first win of the autumn season.

England

Albert Einstein, one of Coolmore's and trainer Aidan O'Brien's top 3-year-old hopes, settled for third in Saturday's Group 3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at Newbury.

The Wootton Bassett colt was boxed in for much of the 7 furlongs, looked poised to win once shown an opening and flattened out.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 8:17 AM.