Whitmore to Try Count Fleet Next

Whitmore exited "crazy good" from his powerful six-length victory in his sprint stakes debut, the $125,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older horses March 11 at Oaklawn Park, co-owner/trainer Ron Moquett said Sunday morning.

Remaining perfect in five career sprint starts, Whitmore ran six furlongs over a fast track in 1:08.72 under Ricardo Santana Jr., the third-fastest time in the 73-year history of the Hot Springs. It was also the third-largest margin of victory.

"He did what we wanted him to do against some very good horses," Moquett said. "We knew he could do the distance. He did it against some classy horses."

Whitmore will be pointed for the $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 15, Moquett said.

Hot Springs runner-up Ivan Fallunovalot will also be pointed for the Count Fleet, trainer Tom Howard said Sunday morning.

Whitmore was coming off a sharp 2 3/4-length allowance/optional claiming score Jan. 15 in his 4-year-old debut. He ran six furlongs in 1:08.81.

The Pleasantly Perfect gelding was also a 7 1/4-length winner of his career debut sprinting and resurfaced following a 19th-place finish in last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) with a second-level allowance/optional claiming victory over 6 1/2 furlongs Dec. 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Moquett said the Hot Springs was the best race Whitmore has ever run. The gelding had to wait for room approaching the quarter-pole, then uncorked a scintillating turn of foot to open up by four lengths in mid-stretch.

"This was a pretty tough test because these were all proven warriors at that distance," Moquett said. "One reason I was happy was because he did it the right way."

Whitmore's first career stakes victory, and fifth in 10 starts overall, pushed his earnings to $637,000 for Southern Springs Stable (Moquett), Harry Rosenblum, and Robert LaPenta. He is 0 for 5 around two turns, but finished second last year in Oaklawn's $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) and $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) and third in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1).

Moquett decided to target shorter races for Whitmore following the Kentucky Derby.

The Hot Springs was the 194th Oaklawn victory for Moquett, who saddled Gentlemen's Bet to win the 2015 Hot Springs. He also became the second trainer at the meet to surpass $1 million in purse earnings ($1,045,849) with Whitmore's victory. 

Whitmore represented the first victory for Santana, Oaklawn's four-time time defending riding champion, since Feb. 23. The rider suffered a separated shoulder in a March 2 spill and resumed riding Friday. 

Ivan Fallunovalot rebounded from a sluggish fourth in the $125,000 King Cotton Stakes Feb. 4 to finish 1 1/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Fish Trappe Road Saturday. The gelding didn't break sharply in the Hot Springs and was angled out five-wide turning for home under Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel.

"When Calvin chose to go the outside, Whitmore got the jump on us and he is a good horse," Howard said. "He's a fast horse."

Ivan Fallunovalot, a $25,000 claim by Howard at the 2014 Oaklawn meeting, increased his career earnings to $832,058 with his runner-up finish. He won the King Cotton in 2015 and 2016 for Howard and owner Lewis Mathews of Bismarck, Ark.