ARCADIA, Calif. - Richard Dutrow Jr., sunglasses on, sport jacket flung over his shoulder, walked from the paddock at Santa Anita through the tunnel to the winner’s circle. It was like walking through a time machine. Eighteen years after he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park with Saint Liam, and seven months after returning from a 10-year suspension imposed by New York regulators, Dutrow was celebrating another Classic victory, this time with White Abarrio, who, under Irad Ortiz Jr., rallied by Arabian Knight in upper stretch and went on to record a one-length victory in the $6 million race. There was a calmness about Dutrow, who was obviously happy, but not totally content. “I don’t feel that I’m back on the top, but I feel like the white horse is,” Dutrow, 64, said. “I’m just hanging around him. As soon as I get stables like Todd [Pletcher] and Chad [Brown] then I’ll feel like I’m back on top, but right now I just feel like I’m lucky to be around him.” Then, albeit ever so briefly, Dutrow got slightly emotional. “I feel he’s on top and I love being around good horses like that, it makes you feel like a good horseman and that’s always what I wanted to be,” Dutrow said. :: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF PPs, Clocker Reports, Picks, and more. Shop Now.  Dutrow’s horsemanship was never in question during a career full of Grade 1 successes, more than 1,800 wins, including a Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and three Breeders’ Cup wins prior to Saturday. His sometimes brash attitude and careless use of therapeutic medication landed him in trouble with New York regulators, who eventually suspended him for a decade, a penalty of such length rarely imposed on a trainer. Dutrow returned in April and in May was given White Abarrio to train after his previous trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., ran into issues with Churchill Downs Inc. when he had two horses die unexpectedly within a 48-hour period. Churchill scratched Joseph’s horses from stakes that week, including White Abarrio from the Churchill Downs Stakes on May 6. Following Churchill’s lead, the New York Racing Association wouldn’t accept stakes nominations or entries from Joseph so White Abarrio needed a new trainer if he was to run in the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont in June, the goal of his ownership group headed by Mark and Clint Cornett of C2 Racing. The Cornetts chose Dutrow. White Abarrio ran third in the Metropolitan Handicap but two months later, after being redirected from the Grade 1 Forego, White Abarrio won the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga by 6 1/4 lengths to earn a spot in the Classic. Dutrow shipped White Abarrio to California in early September. Though there were a few hiccups with his feet in regards to shoeing, White Abarrio flourished here, at least to hear his connections tell it. Dutrow expressed confidence - not cockiness as he might have in the past - in White Abarrio leading up to the Classic. As he watched the race unfold, with White Abarrio, under Irad Ortiz Jr., sitting third behind pacesetter Arabian Knight and prompter Saudi Crown, who were a half-length apart through six furlongs in 1:10.28, Dutrow began to grow more confident as White Abarrio advanced to the two leaders at the quarter pole. “I didn’t see anything coming, I saw we were going to engage those two and were going to put them away. We thought the race was over at that point,” Dutrow said. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. It took until the eighth pole for White Abarrio to put Arabian Knight away, and he had an insurmountable lead that dwindled some with a late run from Derma Sotogake. The Japanese-based 3-year-old finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Proxy, who was a neck in front of Arabian Knight. Ushba Tesoro was fifth followed by Bright Future, Senor Buscador, Dreamlike, Zandon, Saudi Crown, Clapton, and Missed the Cut. White Abarrio, a 4-year-old son of Raceday, covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.87 and returned $7.20 as the favorite, getting a 106 Beyer Speed Figure. Ortiz, who won his second Classic, said Dutrow instilled confidence in him that the horse was ready to fire his best shot. “He brought me that confidence, he had that positive energy, it transferred to me,” Ortiz said. “Every single day he talked to me about how good the horse is doing. He made me trust the horse no matter what.” Derma Sotogake hadn’t run since he finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby. He was racing outside of White Abarrio early on but he stalled some down the backside as White Abarrio began to go after the leaders. Around the turn, Derma Sotogake re-engaged and came with a late run, but it was only good enough for second. “He was outpaced on the backstretch, I gave him a chance, then he recovered and found his rhythm again and was fighting at the end,” Jockey Christophe Lemaire said. “He proved today he was that level. I’m very happy with him today.” Proxy, as he’s been known to do, ran in spots. His jockey Joel Rosario, thought he was done around the turn. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures “Sometimes we get to the last turn and he slows himself down a little bit,” Rosario said. “He just stayed there, he didn’t really go forward. It looked like he was not going to do anything and then he took a deep breath and  took off again.” White Abarrio is going to remain in training next year with an early target the $20 million Saudi Cup in February. Dutrow hopes the Classic win will bring better quality horses to his stable. “Hopefully, it helps me pick up nicer horses and more higher-end quality clients and stuff because I want to be around good horses,” Dutrow said. “I’m very lucky to be around him right now. I don’t have a stable packed with good horses and that’s really what I want and I’m going to be striving for, and I’m going to be calling everybody tomorrow when I get done with Disneyland.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.