Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has made quite a name for himself at Gulfstream Park, racking up an impressive number of training titles and horse racing career earnings that top $70 million. He’s seen the best and worst that the horse racing world has to throw at him. The Barbados native has created a huge and thriving operation with several horses spread across Florida and New York. But, you know, his successful career almost took a huge hit because of a shocking and tragic event that happened during the 2023 Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs.

The week of the 149th Kentucky Derby was overshadowed by the tragic deaths of twelve horses. Joseph found himself in the spotlight when two of his trainees, Parents Pride and Chasing Artie, passed away unexpectedly just days apart.

Even though there was no evidence suggesting he did anything wrong, Joseph found himself indefinitely suspended by Churchill Downs Inc., and they also pulled his Kentucky Derby contender, Lord Miles, from the race. Joseph, who loves his horses, found it tough when he was painted as a villain in public. The quick punishment he faced, driven more by fear than by the truth, hit him hard both personally and professionally, making him wonder about his future in the sport.

During an exclusive interview with TDN’s Tim Wilkin, Joseph got honest about the profound emotional toll of the incident, recalling, “It destroyed me. Just talking about it now, I am getting emotional because it crushed me mentally. You are made out to look like the worst person ever, and you know it’s not true. To get that horse back, that helped me heal. You never fully recover emotionally from something like that. It takes a toll. That’s when my faith became so strong. Every night, I would pray for the truth to be revealed and for any skullduggery to be revealed. When the results came back and everything was cleared, well, God is good. I became stronger.”

The official investigations, with all the necropsies and tests, eventually found no violations or banned substances, which cleared him completely. Still, that internal scar stuck around. A big part of his healing was thanks to the amazing comeback of White Abarrio. So, the horse ended up with a different trainer while Joseph was suspended, and it went on to win some big races, including the Whitney Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. After the horse lost his form, Joseph brought him back and pulled off an amazing comeback victory in the Pegasus World Cup.

Joseph described this win as significant after the Kentucky Derby mishap, sharing, “Math Wizard was big, but I think White Abarrio’s Pegasus (World Cup this year) because of everything I went through with the horse. I had White Abarrio, then he went with someone else and won the Whitney and the (Breeders’ Cup) Classic, two of the biggest races you can win. He lost his form, and I got him back and he won the Pegasus and I had never won a race like that. Knowing that whole story was big, big, big, big. I was crushed with everything I went through.”

This victory was more than just a financial success; it was a powerful redemption story, proving his training prowess and helping to mend a reputation unfairly tarnished. The journey from the lows of the Kentucky Derby setback to the high of the Pegasus win highlights a kind of resilience that comes from tough times. It shows that even a trainer who has earned $70 million isn’t just about the victories, but also about how he bounces back from his hardest losses. So, how has White Abarrio been doing since his win at the Pegasus?

As the Kentucky Derby wounds healed, the trainer looked forward to more from his horse

White Abarrio’s journey after his dominant victory in the January 2025 Pegasus World Cup was marked by a strategic decision to forgo an international campaign in favor of a domestic-focused schedule, with his major target which was the Metropolitan Handicap at Saratoga Race Course in June. He kicked off this journey with a planned comeback to competition in the $165,000 Ghostzapper Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 29.

As the clear favorite at 1-9 for this 1 1/16-mile race, the plan was all about getting him ready for the Met Mile. Deciding to skip the $20 million Grade 1 Saudi Cup in late February was a big step in his journey after the Pegasus. C2 Racing Stable pointed out that the tough 24-hour travel ordeal from last year, which led to a disappointing tenth-place finish, was a big factor in making this decision.

However, it turns out that the Grade 1 races, like the Met Mile and the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, didn’t go as planned for the racehorse. Indeed, he ended up in fourth place in both races. Even though the season isn’t done yet, who knows what else the horse might accomplish?