Whitmore Earns First Grade 1 Score in Forego
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Ricardo Santana Jr. celebrates Whitmore's Forego Stakes win at Saratoga Race Course
There might be some uncertainty about a path to follow in November, but on the biggest August afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, there was little doubt that class and consistency were rewarded.
After two losses by a neck in grade 2 stakes in his two previous starts, the 5-year-old gelding Whitmore was rewarded with his first grade 1 victory Aug. 25 as he rolled to a 1 1/2-length score in the $600,000 Forego Stakes (G1).
"His last two races were unfortunate," said co-owner Robert LaPenta, "but this horse always gives 100 percent every time, and he deserved to win today."
For Whitmore, owned by LaPenta, Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners, and trainer Ron Moquett, the victory was his 11th in 22 starts and pushed his earnings to $1,991,000, yet it also came with a perplexing prize.
While the seven-furlong Forego was part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, the "Win and You're In" spot is attached to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), not the six-furlong TwinSpires BC Sprint (G1).
Considering that Whitmore has not raced beyond seven furlongs since finishing 19th in the 2016 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) going a mile and a quarter, it was not clear during the winner's circle celebration at the Spa whether his connections will avail themselves of the all-expenses berth in the Dirt Mile or run instead in the Sprint.
"We'll have to think about whether he goes in the Sprint or the Dirt Mile," LaPenta said. "He definitely ran today like he can get (a mile)."
If there's indication which way Moquett is leaning, he said Whitmore's next start is likely to come in the Oct. 5 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. That six-furlong stakes, which Whitmore won last year, is also a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, but it offers an all-expenses-paid berth in the Sprint.
"We'll run him short again, and then make a decision on what to do," Moquett said.
Whitmore, who has been no worse than third in 18 of 22 starts, ran in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar and finished eighth at 20-1 odds after being bumped at the start.
In the Forego, Whitmore had a much smoother trip as he was sixth in the field of eight after the opening quarter-mile in :22.48, about 2 1/4 lengths behind the early pacesetter Heartwood. He then surged through an opening on the rail approaching the turn and rushed out to a length lead in midstretch under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.
"I knew from there it would take an exceptional horse to catch him," Moquett said.
Clearly, there was no one "exceptional" behind the 8-1 shot ($19.60) as the son of Pleasantly Perfect extended his lead in the final eighth of a mile.
"He's such a great horse," Kumin said. "Ron has done a fantastic job with him, and Ricardo gave him a great ride. He's had some tough beats, but today when that hole opened, it was great to see. He has so much heart."
Whitmore, who was second in the Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) and True North Stakes (G2) in his last two starts, covered the seven furlongs in 1:21.46. He was bred by John Liviakis in Kentucky out of the Scat Daddy mare Melody's Spirit.
City of Light , the 4-5 favorite making his first start since finishing third in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) going 1 1/4 miles May 26, grabbed second by a nose over Limousine Liberal.
"I thought the race kind of shaped up as we planned," trainer Mike McCarthy said of the runner-up. "It looked like leaving away from there, the ground kind of broke out from him a little bit. He broke real hard and kind of went down half a step and then gathered himself up. I think had we drawn inside, it might have been a lot different, but he was traveling comfortably throughout.
"He cut the corner and put in a run, but the other horse had already gotten away from him. He put in a super effort. I can't be upset with that."