Whitmore, Limousine Liberal Set for Phoenix Rematch

If their race records this year are any indication, Whitmore and Limousine Liberal seem to be playing one long game of tag—a competition set to continue when the two meet Oct. 5 in the $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. 

Starting his season off strong, Whitmore scored big with back-to-back stakes wins for Robert LaPenta, Southern Spring Stables, and Head of Plains Partners in the Hot Springs Stakes and Count Fleet Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park. 

Slightly to the north in Kentucky, Limousine Liberal opened his 6-year-old campaign with a second-place run in the April 7 Commonwealth Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, before skipping over to Churchill Downs where the two rivals met in the May 5 Churchill Downs Stakes presented by Twinspires.com (G2). 

Limousine Liberal emerged the victor that day, almost five lengths ahead of Whitmore, but the game had only just begun. The two shipped to Belmont Park where they faced off again two outs later in the July 7 Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes (G2). Again Limousine Liberal took the lead, but barely, squeezing to the wire just a neck ahead of Whitmore and upping the challenge for their next meeting one month later in the Aug. 25 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. 

Seizing his opening at the quarter-pole, Whitmore moved from sixth to first at the top of the stretch in the Forego and shot past Limousine Liberal to win by 1 1/2 lengths over City of Light . Limousine Liberal took third. 

The six-furlong Ogden Phoenix will be the next test for the dueling sprinters but this time the stakes are even higher with a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" berth to this year's Twinspires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) hanging in the balance. Whitmore won the race last year, while Limousine Liberal finished third, less than one length behind the leader. Should Whitmore win he will be the seventh runner to win the race in consecutive years. 

Joining the field is Robert Baron's Promises Fulfilled. The Dale Romans trainee is the youngest in the six-horse field at 3 and enters off a win in the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1) Aug. 25 at Saratoga. 

Fellow Forego Stakes runner Heartwood will also contest the Phoenix. The 4-year-old son of Tapit  finished sixth last out in the Forego and has been successful in only two of nine starts this year.

Rounding out the field are Florida-breds Dalmore and Distinctive B. Friday's test marks the 27th start for Distinctive B, the oldest entrant in the race at 7, and his first step up to graded company. 

Entries: Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S. (G2)

Keeneland, Friday, October 05, 2018, Race 8

• Grade II
• 6f
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Promises Fulfilled (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Dale L. Romans	8/5
2	2Whitmore (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	124	Ron Moquett	9/5
3	3Distinctive B (FL)	Florent Geroux	120	Peter Miller	15/1
4	4Limousine Liberal (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Ben Colebrook	2/1
5	5Heartwood (KY)	T. D. Houghton	120	James K. Chapman	12/1
6	6Dalmore (FL)	Albin Jimenez	120	Anthony T. Quartarolo	15/1