Whitmore had looked at times during his career like one who might have a Grade I with his name on it, and he reached the highest level Saturday while securing a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint this fall.
This race appeared very much to be odds-on favorite and MGISW City of Light's to lose, but The chalk was off perhaps a half-step slowly and was consigned therefore to a four-deep trip down the back as Whitmore drafted kindly in behind. City of Light was poised to go, but came very wide into the lane, and Whitmore took full advantage, driving through at the fence, opening a bit of a lead and then holding sway as City of Light made up inches late. Limousine Liberal, who defeated Whitmore in the GII Belmont Sprint Championship last month, was a late-on-the-scene third. According to Trakus data, City of Light covered 31 ft. (approx. 3 1/2 lengths) more than Whitmore.
“We got a perfect trip,” confirmed rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. “That was the trip I wanted. We saved all the ground, and we got lucky that a whole opened on the turn for home. That's when I let him run and he was feeling good today. Last time we got in a little trouble and today we got a clean trip. Everything was perfect and we'll take the victory.”
Saturday, Saratoga
FOREGO S.-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-25, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:21.46, ft.
1–WHITMORE, 122, g, 5, by Pleasantly Perfect
1st Dam: Melody's Spirit, by Scat Daddy
2nd Dam: Capture the Cat, by Tale of the Cat
3rd Dam: Ten Flags, by Seattle Slew
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Robert LaPenta, Ron Moquett & Head of
Plains Partners LLC; B-John Liviakis (KY); T-Ron Moquett;
J-Ricardo Santana, Jr.. $320,000. Lifetime Record: 22-11-5-2,
$1,991,000. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk
Nick Rating: A++.[bullet ad=”war-horse-place-born-raised”][bullet ad=”bsw-bloodstock-private-purchase-for-head-of-plains”]2–City of Light, 124, c, 4, Quality Road–Paris Notion, by Dehere.
($710,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Mr & Mrs William Warren, Jr.;
B-Ann Marie Farm (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $112,000.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”lambholm-south-training-grad”]3–Limousine Liberal, 122, g, 6, Successful Appeal–Gift of Gab,
by In Excess (Ire). O-Katherine G. Ball; B-Mike & Katherine Ball
(KY); T-Ben Colebrook. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, NO, 1 1/4. Odds: 8.80, 0.85, 6.30.
Also Ran: C Z Rocket, No Dozing, Heartwood, Awesome Slew, Warrior's Club.
Click for the Equineline.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Whitmore capped a five-race win streak in last May's GIII Maryland Sprint S., and annexed last October's GII Phoenix S. at Keeneland before finishing eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar. He bounced back with victories in Oaklawn's Mar. 10 Hot Springs S. and Apr. 14 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H., but was fourth behind Limousine Liberal and two more of these rivals in the GII Churchill Downs S. May 5. The chestnut had been beaten a neck by subsequent GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. winner Imperial Hint (Imperialism) when second in the GII True North S. down state June 8, and a similar margin last time by Limousine Liberal July 7.
“To run that well here, he's as consistent as they come and he tries every time,” said conditioner Ron Moquett, who was celebrating his second Grade I win, having also saddled Seek Gold (Touch Gold) to a 91-1 upset in the 2006 GI Stephen Foster H. “He's made a career out of outrunning his trainer and I just hope he keeps doing it. He's a cool dude. He's fun to be around. He's a challenge. He brings that same tenacity on the track.”
Of the beaten favorite, City of Light's trainer Mike McCarthy said, “I thought the race kind of shaped up as we planned. 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.”
Pedigree Notes:
Whitmore is the third Grade I winner for his sire and the second (first in the US) produced by a daughter of the late Scat Daddy. El Picaro (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky–La Sinverguenza) was recently named champion 2-year-old turf male in Chile. He has an 2-year-old half-sister who brought $130,000 from Harlow Stables and William S. Sparks at this year's OBS June sale after a :21 flatmove. That January foal recorded her seventh drill at Churchill Downs last Sunday, covering five furlongs in 1:02.20 (9/28). Unraced Melody's Spirit foaled a Liam's Map colt Mar. 6 before being bred back to Arrogate.
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