Whelen Springs Edges Cogburn to Take the Bachelor

It was a duel from the starting gate to the finish line in the $154,000 Bachelor Stakes April 30 at Oaklawn Park when Cogburn  just missed to Whelen Springs , who made a scrappy bid in the last of the stretch, digging in to finish a neck ahead and extending his win streak to three.

Steve Asmussen trainee Cogburn led through five furlongs getting fractions of :22.52, :45.84, and :57.54 just ahead of Whelen Springs, who pressed Cogburn the whole way around until he made his move near the finish to win in 1:09.68 on a fast track. 

Asmussen's other trainee, Namcook Stable's Cairama , settled in midpack at the start and moved into third at the half, staying there until crossing the wire. 

Trained by John Ortiz, Shortleaf Stable's homebred Whelen Springs, a son of Street Sense  , broke his maiden March 26 at Oaklawn after four attempts and added the Rainbow Stakes next time out. 

Owned in partnership by Clark Brewster and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Cogburn's runner-up finish in the Bachelor is only his second non-winning start. The 3-year-old  Not This Time   colt broke his maiden his second time out at Churchill Downs and then won his next start in an allowance claimer at Oaklawn. 

Whelen Springs is out of the graded stakes-winning Pure Prize mare Holy Nova , whose accomplishments include a first in the Ballerina Stakes (G3). The mare has three runners from five foals to date.