New Oaklawn standard set in victory from Whitmore
HOT SPRINGS — Good days for thoroughbred trainers occur when they are overshadowed by their horses.
Trainer Ron Moquett had a good Saturday.
Whitmore, with jockey Joe Talamo onboard, tucked behind a reasonable pace, took the lead in midstretch and pulled away to win the $150,000, 6-furlong Hot Springs Stakes in a record 1:08.54 at Oaklawn.
The fastest previous Hot Springs Stakes result came with Whitmore’s 1:08.57 in 2018.
“I’m finally at the point where people know my horse better than they know me,” Moquett said. “If people don’t know me but do know Whitmore, I’m good with that, because I’m not the one running.”
Mr. Jagermeister finished second, 2 1/2 lengths behind Whitmore and 2 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Wendell Fong. Boldor, a 4-year-old son of Munnings trained by Steve Asmussen, finished fourth, 5 3/4 lengths behind the winner.
“We always think that this is Whitmore’s track, and it’s going to take an exceptional horse to beat him, and we’ve run into some,” Moquett said. “But he tries really hard.”
Whitmore improved his Oaklawn career stakes record to 11 6-4-1, a run that began in 2016, and increased his career earnings to $2,936,350.
With his Hot Springs triumph, Whitmore — a 7-yearold son of Pleasantly Perfect — became the first horse to ever win a specific stakes race four consecutive years at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
“I’ve told people, we’re going to keep winning the race until they change the name,” Moquett said.
Mr. Jagermeister, a son of Atta Boy Roy trained by Valorie Lund and ridden by Leandro Goncalves, was first out of the gate, immediately followed by Share the Upside, trained by Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana.
Share the Upside was a wire-to-wire winner by 11/2 lengths over second-place Whitmore in Oaklawn’s King Cotton Stakes on Feb. 8, the last previous start for each. He followed Mr. Jagermeister by a length through the first quarter-mile in 22.25. Whitmore was in third, 2 lengths off the pace.
Mr. Jagermeister led by 1 length over Share the Upside through the half in 45.22, with Whitmore 11/2 lengths off the lead in third.
Talamo said the battle up front worked well for Whitmore
“That looked like that would happen on paper, and when it did, there was a little smile on my face,” Talamo said. “That setup worked well, but it was all Whitmore. What a cool horse he is.”
Whitmore was in second, a length behind Mr. Jagermeister but full of momentum as he turned into the stretch.
Share the Upside faded to finish last in the five-horse field.
Only three other horses had won a single stakes race over three consecutive seasons at Oaklawn before Whitmore set the new standard.
Most notable was Azeri, winner of the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap from 2002-04. Azeri won the Eclipse Award as champion older female each of those years.