The first crop from Nyquist is now age 3. The first crop from Gun Runner is now 2. They were first and third, respectively, in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, their successful racing careers – both were Eclipse Award winners – now well in the rearview mirror. Of the 20 who ran in that Derby five years ago, 19 are no longer racing. Then there’s Whitmore. Popular, beloved Whitmore. Refashioned as a sprinter after beating just one horse in that Derby, Whitmore last year joined Nyquist and Gun Runner as champions who raced in the 2016 Derby, as he took down the male sprint title with his Breeders’ Cup victory at Keeneland. The hope of his trainer and co-owner, Ron Moquett, is to have Whitmore – an 8-year-old gelding – defend his title later this year at Del Mar. An intermediate stop occurs Saturday at Churchill Downs, about 2 1/2 hours before this year’s Derby, when Whitmore tops a field of 13 in the Grade 1, $500,000 Churchill Downs Stakes for older sprinters. The seven-furlong race is the 10th on the 14-race card. Whitmore hadn’t originally been intended for this race, Moquett said in a telephone interview on Wednesday, but a confluence of events made Moquett decide to go. :: Get Kentucky Derby Betting Strategies for exclusive wager recommendations, contender profiles, pedigree analysis, and more First was that Whitmore trained well after his second-place finish to C Z Rocket in the Grade 3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn April 10, in which he got a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. “He’s been training so much better out of the Count Fleet,” Moquett said. Second, the complexion of the Churchill Downs changed significantly when the connections of Malibu winner Charlatan, originally pointed for this as his first start since the Saudi Cup, decided to pass. “Instead of a five-horse field, it’s a bunch of evenly matched horses who are not Charlatan,” Moquett said. And third, while this will be Whitmore’s 41st career start – he’s won 15 of 40, and earned nearly $4.4 million – he’s used Lasix every time. That’s not allowed in this year’s Breeders’ Cup, nor in the Churchill Downs. “With the Lasix deal, seeing how he does in this race, we’ll know how to chart a course to get to the Breeders’ Cup,” Moquett said. “If his 8-year-old self requires it, we can work toward the Breeders’ Cup knowing that information.” Whitmore landed post 9 in the field of 13. This is only his sixth try going seven furlongs, a distance at which he has a win and a second. His only win in five starts at Churchill came in his debut, back on Nov. 6, 2015, 5 1/2 years ago. Whitmore carries top weight of 123 pounds. His 12 rivals carry 118 each. The absence of Charlatan propelled runners like Basin and Flagstaff into the field. Basin gutted out a win in Gulfstream’s Sir Shackleton March 27 when returning from a layoff of nearly seven months. “Part of the reason we stayed in Florida is we were looking at this and the Westchester on Saturday at Belmont, and when Charlatan decided not to go, that was the tie-breaker,” said Todd Pletcher, who trains Basin. Flagstaff, third to Whitmore and C Z Rocket in the Hot Springs at Oaklawn March 13, returned to win the Grade 3 Commonwealth at Keeneland April 3 with a Beyer of 94. The late decision to run here was made after regular rider Joel Rosario had committed to Endorsed, that mount coming open owing to the recent injuries incurred by Junior Alvarado. So, Luis Saez rides Flagstaff. Attachment Rate (third), Bango (fourth), and Hog Creek Hustle (sixth) chased home Flagstaff in the Commonwealth. :: Get DRF Clocker Reports for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks cards to access exclusive insights from morning training Endorsed was second last time out in a March 28 allowance race at Gulfstream won by Phat Man, who owns the best last-race Beyer of 103. Lexitonian was fourth in that race. Tap It to Win easily won a Florida-bred stakes at Tampa in his 2021 debut five weeks ago with a Beyer of 94. He’s capable of freakish performances, and his trainer, Mark Casse, has the Met Mile circled if he performs well Saturday. “Absolutely,” Casse said. “I thought his last race was just what the doctor ordered. I’ve always liked him a lot. I think he’s better than ever. After the Pat Day Mile last year, we sent him home. He was a tired horse.” Seven-furlong specialist Mind Control, with four victories at this distance, comes off a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Carter to the streaking Mischevious Alex, but he’s winless in his last seven starts. Though he’s beaten lesser in two starts this year, Get the Prize is in career-best form and should be prominent throughout in a race that doesn’t have a lot of obvious speed. Shashashakemeup won an Oaklawn allowance last time in which he rallied into a scorching pace.