Bob's Edge Goes From Last to First in Whitmore
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Photo: Coady Photography
Bob's Edge rallies to win the Whitmore Stakes at Oaklawn Park
In a move worthy of the race's champion namesake, Michael and Patricia Freeny and Jennifer Grayson Taylor's Bob's Edge closed from the clouds to score his first graded stakes victory in the $200,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) March 19 at Oaklawn Park.
To celebrate Whitmore Day, the 2020 Eclipse award champion sprinter led the post parade for the race formerly known as the Hot Springs Stakes, a race he himself captured four times in his remarkable 43-start career. The hometown hero behaved like an old pro in front of an estimated crowd of 37,500, and his trainer Ron Moquett had the honor of presenting the trophy to the winning connections of the Whitmore Stakes.
It was only fitting that another hard-trying gelding with a strong closing kick paid homage Saturday to Whitmore , a late-running sprinter that captivated crowds with his nail-biting finishes.
"We did think there would be a lot of speed in the race that would set up for us," said Larry Jones, the trainer of Bob's Edge. "And the big thing for him is don't get trapped behind when he starts moving get yourself out. We asked ourselves what would Whitmore do? And this is what Whitmore would do, so we just followed his footsteps."
Bob's Edge, despite soundly defeating Hollis in the Jan. 29 King Cotton Stakes, went off as the second choice behind that speedster in the Whitmore.
When the gates open, Bob's Edge and jockey Luis Quinonez were unhurried at the back of the pack while the John Ortiz-trained Hollis, breaking from the far outside post, was aggressive through the race's early stages, battling 8-year-old Greeley and Ben through an opening quarter in :21.81 and a half-mile in :45.07.
Hollis appeared to have the race won halfway down the stretch, holding a narrow advantage over Greeley and Ben until Bob's Edge, who had rounded the bend widest of all into the lane, motored past his rivals in the final sixteenth.
Out-of-town shipper Tulane Tryst also made a commendable late run but lacked the closing punch of Bob's Edge, finishing a length behind the winner in second, 1 3/4-lengths clear of Greeley and Ben. Hollis was a neck back in fourth.
"Closers have run well today," said Jones. "This is one of the lesser days (at Oaklawn) where closers have done well and it looked like we have a very good non-bias track for us to run on. It played out great."
Bob's Edge ($7.60) raced the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.42.
The 4-year-old son of Competitive Edge , a winner of his last three starts, Bob's Edge has now bankrolled $516,428 in earnings. Jones indicated that the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 16 at Oaklawn would likely be next for Bob's Edge.
"Now Bob likes a lot of time between races and the Count Fleet might hustle him up a little, but that's our intention," said Jones.
Bob's Edge was bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farms. He is the second stakes winner produced from the Bluegrass Cat mare Catticus , who also dropped 2018 Zia Park Princess Stakes winner Watch Me Burn (Hold Me Back ). Catticus has a yearling filly by Audible and was bred to Game Winner for the 2022 breeding season.