When he's in Florida, Saffie Joseph Jr. has learned not to pay close attention to the weather forecast. Too many times, he has rescheduled a breeze or rearranged race day plans only for the weather to do the exact opposite of what was predicted.But this week in Saratoga, Joseph admits that he has been keeping an eye on his weather app. His star trainee, White Abarrio (Race Day), will only see the GI Whitney Stakes starting gate if the tack is fast. The 7-year-old multiple Grade I winner was fourth in his last start over a sloppy, sealed surface at Churchill Downs in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes.“We can't control it,” Joseph said. “It is what it's going to be. Obviously last time we took a chance because he had never gone two turns in the slop. So now we've learned we're not going to make that mistake again. Hopefully it's fast and if it's not, we're going to make a different plan and go somewhere else.” As of Friday, it looks like the White Abarrio team is in the clear. There is a chance of light rain overnight into Saturday, but conditions are expected to clear by morning with another small possibility of isolated showers in the afternoon. Joseph also has GII Hollywood Gold Cup winner Forged Steel (Vekoma) entered for the Whitney, but he will likely scratch if his stablemate makes the race.Aside from weather concerns, Joseph said he is feeling confident in White Abarrio, who will take on Stephen Foster top-three finishers Magnitude (Not This Time), Baeza (McKinzie), and Sovereignty (Into Mischief)—a rival White Abarrio defeated earlier this year in the GII Oaklawn Handicap.Since arriving in Saratoga, White Abarrio has put in three four-furlong breezes. Over the past two seasons, the impossible-to-miss grey has settled into a distinctly unconventional routine at the Spa. He splits his morning training between the main track and Clare Court, often finishing with long, ambling walks around the backside before heading back to the barn.“He's very quiet on the main track, but when we send him over to Clare Court and he comes off, sometimes he likes to play and rear up,” Joseph explained. “I think over there he relates to being a kid and having fun. We use that to keep him in a happy spot mentally.”The presence of a companion goat, Brownie, has also played a role in White Abarrio's development.“He has always been super top-class and consistent, but the goat gives him a calmer demeanor,” Joseph said. “He saves his energy in the right way.”Saffie Joseph and White Abarrio | Sarah AndrewSaturday's contest will mark White Abarrio's third appearance in the Whitney. As a 4-year-old, he captured the Grade I under the tutelage of Rick Dutrow, who later conditioned him to a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic before the grey transferred back to Joseph the following summer. With a runner in the race immediately following the 2023 Whitney, Joseph remembers watching White Abarrio head to the winner's circle from the backside near the Wilson chute.“You see him win and obviously you're happy for the connections because you trained the horse,” he recalled. “I turned to my wife and I said, 'This is God's way.' Who would have ever envisioned a year later, you would get the horse back. I never envisioned that he would go on to do what he did after, so it worked out exactly like it was meant to be.”With three graded stakes wins including the 2025 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes added to his resume since returning to Joseph, White Abarrio has collected over $8.5 million career earnings. Campaigned by C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable, the champion is set to begin his stud career at Gainesway Farm next year.Joseph said he has bittersweet feelings about enjoying the last few months with a horse who has ultimately anchored his barn since capturing the GI Florida Derby in 2022.“You would like to close it obviously with him winning another big one or two,” he admitted. “But if we don't and everything goes well and he tries his best, that's all you can ask for. There's no guarantee that you get another White Abarrio in your whole life. I mean, I'm 39 and as a trainer, there's no guarantee I get a horse as good as him again. He's a rare horse as far as his durability and his consistency.”The post White Abarrio On Track for Third Whitney Appearance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.