A lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by the owners of White Abarrio, a Thoroughbred racehorse, against the Breeders’ Cup, California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), Del Mar racetrack, and unknown defendants. The suit alleges that White Abarrio was wrongfully scratched from the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile minutes before the race due to a misinterpretation of the horse’s characteristic gait. Despite extensive pre-race veterinary exams and scientific testing—including PET scans and gait assessments indicating no issues—the defendants relied on a brief visual inspection during warmup to declare the horse unsound, violating regulatory protocols and ignoring input from the horse’s jockey and attending veterinarian.
The complaint claims this action caused significant financial and reputational harm, including lost race earnings and diminished stallion value, and seeks an injunction to prevent unfair competition practices under California law. White Abarrio’s team argues the scratch was unjustified and based on subjective judgment rather than objective evidence, highlighting that the horse had a long history of racing successfully with the same gait. The CHRB, Breeders’ Cup, and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority have declined to comment on the pending litigation.
