Whitmore fires fresh to win Hot Springs Stakes by neck

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – He’s back, and he’s still fast.

Whitmore won his first start of the year Saturday at Oaklawn in the $125,000 Hot Springs Stakes, covering six furlongs in a rapid 1:08.57.

“I’m very proud of him,” said co-owner and trainer Ron Moquett. “What a cool horse.”

Whitmore ($4.80) was always prominent in the Hot Springs, pushing Ivan Fallunovalot through fractions of 21.64 seconds and 44.21 for the half-mile. Whitmore then overtook that one under Ricardo Santana Jr. and held off a late-running Wynn Time for a neck victory. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Ivan Fallunovalot in third.

The start was the first since the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for Whitmore, who finished a troubled eighth in the Nov. 4 race at Del Mar. He was given time off following the start and had been working regularly at Oaklawn for his return in the Hot Springs.

“I was very proud of his effort,” Moquett said. “My only question was just how fit did I have him in the mornings? I knew that it was a quality field he was running against, so I was very pleased with the effort.

“He did pull up a little bit when he made the lead, and that is his normal deal, but once he felt the other horse, he kicked back on in.”

Whitmore won last year’s Grade 3, $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn one start after taking the Hot Springs. Moquett said the horse is likely to point for the Count Fleet on April 14.

“Of course, we’ll run it through the owners,” Moquett said of discussing plans with Southern Springs Stables, Bob LaPenta, and Head of Plains Partners.

Whitmore earned $75,000 for the win to improve his career record to nine wins from 17 starts for earnings of $1,287,000. He is a 5-year-old son of Pleasantly Perfect.

The Hot Springs was the fifth stakes win for Whitmore, whose other such victories include the Grade 2 Phoenix and the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint.