Whitmore Delivers in Hot Springs Stakes
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Photo: Coady Photography
Whitmore wins the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park
If ever there was a time for Whitmore to return to winning ways, this was it.
Seeking his first score since the 2019 Hot Springs Stakes and in pursuit of his fourth consecutive edition of the race, the 7-year-old gelding kicked clear to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $147,000 Hot Springs March 7 at Oaklawn Park.
With seven starts between this and his win last year, Whitmore has been mixing it up in top company, including a third in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), a race he has contested the past three seasons. The son of Pleasantly Perfect was second in his 2020 debut, the Feb. 8 King Cotton Stakes, also at Oaklawn. He has won six stakes at the Arkansas track.
"It's so good to see him do what he does, knowing how much he loves it," trainer Ron Moquett said. "We're so proud of him. If you watch horses train every morning here like I do, you know there are a lot of good horses, and we're just fortunate to have one of them."
Owned by Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables, and Head of Plains Partners, heavily favored Whitmore was the last of five to leave the gate in the six-furlong sprint but quickly moved into third as Mr. Jagermeister set early fractions of :22.25 and :45.22 for the first half-mile. Under an aggressive ride from jockey Joe Talamo, the winner came between horses, moved to the outside, and accelerated to the wire. The final time was 1:08.54 on a fast track.
Wendell Fong was third, followed by Boldor and Share the Upside.
"For him to win this race four years in a row is incredible," Talamo said. "I was fortunate to ride him today. What a cool horse. He really laid it down the last part."
Whitmore, who began his career at Oaklawn when running in the track's rich 3-year-old program in 2016, has a record of 13-10-3 from 33 starts and has earned $2,936,350. He was bred in Kentucky by John Liviakis out of the Scat Daddy mare Melody's Spirit, who produced a Liam's Map colt in 2018, an Arrogate colt in 2019, and was bred to Uncle Mo for 2020. Her only other runner, the Atreides filly Kid Sis, raced once at the end of 2018 and once in February 2019 but failed to break her maiden.