Whitmore Wins Third Hot Springs Stakes With Ease
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coady Photography
Whitmore wins the Hot Springs Stakes for the third consecutive year at Oaklawn Park
Grade 1 winner Whitmore made his 2019 debut a relatively easy one March 9 with a 1 1/2-length victory as the 3-5 favorite in the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Trained by Ron Moquett and owned in partnership by Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables, and Head of Plains Partners, the 6-year-old gelded son of Pleasantly Perfect faced just four challengers in the six-furlong test on Oaklawn's main track. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. kept Whitmore along the rail for much of the race while Share the Upside and Welder hooked up and took the field through early fractions of :22.22 and :45.08. As the field rounded into the stretch, Santana took Whitmore off the rail and launched his rally against the leaders, passing them with ease to stop the timer in 1:09.39.
"He has been training really good in the morning, so we had a lot of confidence in him," said Santana, who has been aboard for Whitmore's past nine starts. The horse and rider now have a 4-4-0 record that began March 10, 2018, when they won last year's edition of the Hot Springs Stakes. Whitmore also won this race in 2017.
"He broke pretty good, and I stayed behind the speed," Santana said. "That's where I wanted to be. In the stretch, he looked for the clear, and he took me to the wire. He's a really good horse. I had plenty of horse, and I had the position I wanted to be in. It was perfect for me. He's a class act."
Moquett said his campaigner, bred in Kentucky by John Liviakis out of the Scat Daddy daughter Melody's Spirit, was about 75% fit for the Hot Springs. Whitmore also tested the gate crew's patience by refusing to load several times and kicking out.
"I know him, and it's a lot better for us to bring him to a race like this and let him have a race," the trainer said. "If he gets tired, it's my fault. But I'm just going to take care of the horse. The gate guys did great. They showed patience and horsemanship. I'm so appreciative that they're willing to work with the horse instead of trying to overpower him."
The winner paid $3.20 and $2.20. Share the Upside finished second and paid $2.60. The Welder finished third, but there was no show wagering due to the scratch of Petrov.
Whitmore improved his black-type record to eight wins out of 21 stakes starts. He has won or placed 17 times against black-type company. His last win prior to the Hot Springs Stakes came in the Forego Stakes (G1) in August. He ended the 2018 season with a second in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
Whitmore is the first foal out of unraced Melody's Spirit, who also was bred by Liviakis. The mare has a 3-year-old filly by Atreides named Kid Sis and a yearling colt by Liam's Map . She is currently in foal to Arrogate .