White Abarrio, the winner of the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic, has been retired from racing, and he will begin his stud career at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., for the 2027 breeding season. White Abarrio ends his career with 11 wins in 18 starts for earnings of $8,598,170. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., publicly speculated about his star runner’s future in the wake of his flat effort in Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, where he finished last of seven.

C2 Racing Stable, which co-owns the 7-year-old son of Race Day with Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Racing Stable, announced the horse’s retirement Monday afternoon via its social media channels.

“To everyone who followed his journey – thank you,” read a statement from C2 Racing Stable. “It’s not often you get to watch a horse like this compete at the highest level for as long as he did.”