Whitmore still on fence for Sprint

Trainer Ron Moquett said a final decision has yet to be made on the starting status of Whitmore in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Whitmore, who has competed in each of the last two renewals of the Sprint, worked four furlongs in an easy 49.80 seconds on Friday at Churchill Downs.

“I’ll talk with the other owners later today. We’ll peruse all the information that’s available to us, and then make our decision,” said Moquett, who owns a share in Whitmore along with Robert LaPenta and Southern Springs Stable. “He worked absolutely like I wanted him to this morning. I told my rider to let him go between 49 and 50, and that’s exactly what she did. He can get a little worked up when he travels, so if we do go, I wanted him to do a little less today.”

Moquett said he does have a spot reserved for Whitmore on a flight from Louisville to Los Angeles on Tuesday.

“If he comes back from the work today like we hope, I’m probably leaning towards going,” Moquett said.

Whitmore is coming off a huge effort in the Grade 2 Phoenix at Keeneland, rallying from last following a poor start to finish second, beaten just a halflength by Engage.

Also on Friday, Diamond Oops indicated his readiness for the Sprint after turning in a sizzling seven-furlong workout at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla. According to track clocker Bryan Walls, Diamond Oops completed the distance in a dazzling 1:22.40 after posting early splits of 35.00, 58.20, and 1:09.80 along the way. Walls clocked him galloping out a mile in 1:36.

Trained by Patrick Biancone, Diamond Oops will switch to the main track and turn back in distance after finishing second in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf

Mile on Oct. 5 at Keeneland.

Two out of Juvenile Fillies Turf

The field for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita lost two potential starters Friday when Alms and Precious Moments were declared from consideration.

Alms, undefeated winner of the Grade 3 Matron on Oct. 5 at Belmont, was found to have a fever on Friday morning, according to trainer Michael Stidham.

“She had a 103 temperature,” Stidham said. “She won’t travel.”

Precious Moments, winner of a maiden race at The Curragh in Ireland in her seventh start on Oct. 13, will be pointed to a race at Newmarket, England, on Nov. 1 or 2, according to a spokesman for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

The absence of those runners will allow Croughavouke, who was second in two stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar and Santa Anita, into the field.

The $1 million BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile had an oversubscribed field of 19 when pre-entries were taken earlier this week, but will have a maximum of 14 starters.

Alms was one of 14 selected to start by a panel of racing officials, with five horses placed on a reserve list eligible to run if defections occurred. Precious Moments was not selected to start and was the first alternate. Croughavouke was the second alternate.

The developments on Friday leave Princesa Caroline as the next horse eligible to join the field if another runner among the top 14 is not entered when post positions are drawn Monday. Princesa Caroline, trained by Chad Brown, won a maiden special weight race in her debut on Sept. 28 and is entered in the Chelsey Flower on Sunday at Belmont. –additional reporting

by Steve Andersen