Whelen Springs catches Cogburn in Bachelor

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Trainer Johnny Ortiz made an appearance at two tracks Saturday, sending Barber Road through his final Kentucky Derby workout at Churchill Downs, then heading to Oaklawn Park to saddle Whelen Springs to a win in the $150,000 Bachelor.

Whelen Springs got up for a neck victory over favorite Cogburn in the Bachelor, which was a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds. The win was the second straight stakes victory for Whelen Springs, who defeated Arkansas-breds one start earlier in the $150,000 Rainbow at Oaklawn. He won over open company Saturday.

“He’s a little Arky-bred making his name in the world,” Ortiz quipped.

Whelen Springs ($17.60) tracked the pace in second in the Bachelor as Cogburn set fractions of 22.52 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.84 for the half-mile. Whelen Springs advanced on the turn and dug in through the stretch to catch the leader on the wire while covering the distance on a fast track in 1:09.68.

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Jockey Emmanuel Esquivel was aboard the winner for his breeder, Shortleaf Stable.

“Whelen did a fabulous job,” Ortiz said. “I have to credit this win to Manny Esquivel. He did a fantastic job riding him. The last sixteenth it became a horse race with Ricardo Santana and Manny riding and I thought it was just down to whoever had the best horse.”

Cairama finished third, 9 3/4 lengths behind Cogburn.

Ortiz said Whelen Springs is now a candidate for the Grade 3, $200,000 Chick Lang on May 21 at Pimlico.

Whelen Springs is a son of Street Sense and the Grade 3-winning mare Holy Nova. He has now won 3 of 7 starts for earnings of $270,040.

Ortiz started his Saturday well before dawn, driving from his home in Lexington, Ky., to Churchill Downs, where Barber Road worked at 7:30 a.m. Eastern. Ortiz said the horse went a half-mile in 48.80 seconds, was out five furlongs in 1:02, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.

The move came under the horse’s regular exercise rider, Elexander Aguilar.

“He did a fantastic job,” Ortiz said. “It was a good breeze, and when he pulled him up – we have a radio on him – all you could hear was a loud, ‘Yahoo!’ ”

Ortiz said Aguilar said he felt it was the best the horse has ever worked.

Later in the morning, Ortiz and Bill Simon, the owner of Barber Road, flew into Hot Springs, Ark. They were in town by 11:30 a.m. Central, Ortiz said.

Later in the afternoon, Whelen Springs won a 3-year-old stakes. Next weekend at this time, Simon and Ortiz hope to be standing in the winner’s circle after another 3-year-old stakes - at Churchill Downs.