HALLANDALE BEACH -  Nicholas Palmer celebrated the first victory of his training career today at Gulfstream Park after saddling Bad Henry for a 5 ¼-length romp in Race 2.

    The 30-year-old Jupiter native achieved his career milestone with a horse bred and owned by his parents, Teresa and David Palmer, long-time prominent owners in South Florida.

   “It feels amazing. It’s really special. I’m happy it was with a homebred,” Palmer said.

    Bad Henry ($29.40), a 2-year-old son of Good Samaritan, won for the first time in four career starts in the mile maiden claiming race as the longest price in the six-horse field.

  Although he grew up in racing, Palmer didn’t always have a goal to become a trainer.

    “It’s not really what I always wanted to do," he said. "I had another job in film, doing lighting. I took a hiatus and went to the farm and saw a 2-year-olds-in-training sale and it piqued my interest more than racing did when I was a kid,” said Palmer, who lived and worked on an Ocala farm for eight years. “I just loved it and never left the farm. I didn’t go back to my job.”

    Palmer left the farm to work for some a few prominent trainers before taking out his license earlier this year.

    “I worked as a foreman for Danny Gargan three years ago just for the Saratoga meet. Following that I was working for Saffie Joseph as a foreman and then an assistant at Palm Meadows,” Palmer said. “I also worked for Armando De La Cerda for a while, as well.”

White Abarrio Breezes 

    C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable’s White Abarrio tuned up for a planned start in the Jan. 28 $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational this morning, breezing a half-mile in :48.31 seconds.

    The workout was the second for this year’s $1 million Curlin Florida Derby winner since his solid third-place finish in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Exercise rider Vicente Gudiel was aboard.

    “He worked very well this morning and he put a lot of energy in his gallop-out,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.

    White Abarrio, who also won the Holy Bull at Belmont Park prior to his Florida Derby score had a troubled 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Race Day has pleased his trainer with his physical presence.

    “He’s filled out a little bit. He looks really well right now. We’re really happy with the way he is right now from a weight standpoint,” Joseph said. “With a month to go, we’re in good order. I think if everything goes smoothly, we’re in good shape.”

    The Pegasus World Cup Invitational, as well as the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational, will be renewed on Jan. 28.

    “The confidence level in him is very high right now. It feeds off the horse and the energy he gives us back. Everything we’re observing is positive,” Joseph said. “The confidence level is at a high point because that’s what he’s showing us.”

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