Monday Morning Message with Jason Beem Aug. 10, 2026

Jason discusses the Whitney S. (G1) and the great career arcs of some of the runners. 

A good Monday morning to you all! Hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed the wonderful performance by last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty in the Whitney S. (G1). One of the really cool things about this race, and older horse races in general, is that you get to handicap and enjoy horses who have had real career arcs. 

Sovereignty very well could have gone away to the breeding shed last year as a Derby, Belmont (G1), and Travers (G1) winner, and while many people would have been disappointed to see him retire early, it wouldn’t have been much of a surprise. And while it’s a great achievement, I would rank Saturday’s Whitney up there with any of those wins. Not because of the importance of the race or the performance itself, although both were great. But because it occurred after a couple of losses as an older horse. 

 By running at four, Sovereignty is creating a really interesting chapter in his career. He got beat at Oaklawn and at Churchill Downs to kick off this four-year-old campaign. He’s had to overcome some adversity now. He had to score a win like he did on Saturday to prove that he’s not only back, but that he can carry his wonderful three-year-old form into these battles against older horses. 

Of course, we all want to see him in the gate in the Breeders’ Cup in a few months, as he’ll have the chance to cement himself a spot amongst the modern greats with a win on that stage in the Classic (G1). All of this excitement wouldn’t have happened if they’d have just whisked him off to the breeding shed.  

White Abarrio is another who’s had a really interesting career arc. Early on, he was the Gulfstream Park specialist who won four races in South Florida before getting thumped in the Kentucky Derby. The back half of his three-year-old season wasn’t particularly great, as he hit the board a couple of times but failed to garner another win. After he ran poorly in the 2023 Pegasus World Cup (G1) at his “home” track of Gulfstream Park, I think a lot of folks might have given up on him. 

Then White Abarrio got hot as a later season four-year-old and won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s followed that up with big wins and some down times as well. His 2025 summer wasn’t particularly good, but he followed that up with a monster second in the Pegasus and then won the Oaklawn H. (G2). There was some talk that Saturday might have been his last race, and if it was, what a career arc he’s had. 

To me, it’s just so much more interesting when horses run longer and more often and allow real arcs in their stories to develop. Running a few times at two and three and then going to the breeding shed isn’t interesting to anyone but the parties who want to breed the horse. For people who are racing fans, we love horses who race. That to me is how they write their stories and how we really can appreciate and fall in love with certain horses. 

Finally, we should mention Nitrogen who took on the older boys and ran so well to finish second. She’s another who’s had her turf chapter, her three-year-old dirt chapter, and is now writing an older horses and “taking on males” chapter. Big kudos to her connections for being so ambitious and adventurous with her campaigns as she continues to prove herself a terrific racehorse. 

Have a great week everyone!