Whitmore

'Ring The Bell' Program Returns to Oaklawn to Benefit Aftercare

After some test rings last spring, Oaklawn's fund-raising efforts for local Thoroughbred aftercare began in earnest Dec. 9 with the opening of its scheduled 68-day live racing season. The final six days of the 2021-2022 meeting raised $14,000 through the new "Ring the Bell" program, which gives winning connections following each race an opportunity to donate at least $100 toward aftercare. Money raised is earmarked for the Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement Program and Rehabilitation Foundation Inc., a collaboration between the Arkansas division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Oaklawn....

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Where Are They Now: Whitmore

In this new TDN column, Christie DeBernardis will tell the stories of accomplished and/or popular former racehorses who are now enjoying second careers as show horses, track ponies, etc. Champion sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) and Laura Moquett's relationship goes back to when he was just a 2-year-old who refused to go around the racetrack without some coaxing. Fast forward seven years and that cantankerous juvenile is now an Eclipse winner and Breeders' Cup winner and has been retired from racing as Moquett's personal riding horse. On Thursday, less than 13...

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Nashville Retires to WinStar

CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's track record-setting Nashville (Speightstown--Veronique, by Mizzen Mast) has been retired from racing and will stand alongside his sire at WinStar, the farm announced Thursday. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off his impressive 11 1/2 length debut romp at Saratoga in September of 2020, the $460,000 KEESEP buy followed suit with a dominant Keeneland allowance win a month later, good for a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. Nashville may not have won the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, but he was the fastest sprint winner on the card....

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Fan-Favorite Whitmore to be Honored on Oaklawn's Whitmore Day

A familiar face will be leading the post parade Saturday for the GIII Whitmore S.--the race's namesake. Oaklawn announced in early September that Mar. 19 would be christened as 'Whitmore Day,' renamed the Hot Springs S. after the gelding, and even renamed his longtime home at the track, formerly the Count Fleet barn, after him. Saturday's script calls for Whitmore to follow the field from the barn area to the track, then head into the horseshoe-shaped hedge infield winner's circle, traditionally used for stakes contests, as the horses are being...

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Bobby's Wicked One Sires First Foal

The first foal by Bobby's Wicked One (Speightstown--Wicked Charm, by Ghostzapper), arrived Jan. 5.The filly is out of the Curlin broodmare Cced, winner of $141,063 and campaigned by LNJ Foxwoods. Bobby's Wicked One entered stud in 2021 for Acadiana Equine at Copper Crowne in Opelousas, La. Winner of the GIII Commonwealth S. at Keeneland in 2019, Bobby's Wicked One defeated champion Mitole (Eskendereya) in his 2-year-old debut and was second to him in his championship season GI Churchill Downs S. Over four years, Bobby's Wicked One earned $547,673 and also...

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Engage Retired to Northview Stallion Station

Multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter Engage (Into Mischief--Nefertiti, by Speightstown) has been retired to Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md., for the 2022 season. The bay won graded stakes at two and four, including Keeneland's GII Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S., a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" event for the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint while defeating a field that included eventual Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect). He also captured the GIII Futurity S. as a juvenile and added two more listed stakes wins, retiring with $802,780 in...

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Oaklawn Celebrates 'Whitmore Day' in '22

Oaklawn will celebrate 2020 champion sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) with Whitmore Day, held at Oaklawn Park Mar. 19. The afternoon will be highlighted by the $200,000 Whitmore S., formerly named the Hot Springs S. Whitmore Day will also feature an appearance by Whitmore, in addition to t-shirt giveaways, and the first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative Whitmore baseball card. Whitmore won the six-furlong race four times during his career for trainer Ron Moquett's Southern Springs Stable, Robert LaPenta, and Head of Plain Partners LLC. Victorious in the GI Breeders'...

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Taking Stock: A Weekend to Remember

Everything that top-class racing should be was on display over the last weekend. The six Grade l races at Saratoga on Saturday featured most of the leading horses in each division except older dirt males, and as a group they didn't disappoint, did they? Nor did their trainers. One race after another was dramatically decided at or close to the wire, and some of the runners-ups, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the Gl Runhappy Travers S. and the Todd Pletcher-conditioned Life is Good (Into Mischief) in the...

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Sprint Champion Whitmore Retired

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-Some 15 hours after he suffered a career-ending injury, Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) was being Whitmore Sunday morning. Acting like he was quite ready to run in another Grade I at Saratoga Race Course, the 8-year-old was positioned in the front of this stall, alert, active and on the prowl for a carrot or a piece of candy. During the gallop-out past the wire of the GI Forego S. Saturday afternoon, jockey Joel Rosario noticed something didn't feel right and pulled the champion up. As a precaution, he was...

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Mind Control Seeks More Spa Glory in Forego

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) will attempt to win his third Grade I victory at Saratoga when he goes postward in the GI Forego S. Saturday. The 5-year-old pulled the 10-1 upset when going wire-to-wire in the 2018 GI Hopeful S. and returned to win the 2019 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., again at double-digit odds. His Spa streak was interrupted last year when he was third in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and eighth in the Forego, but he returned to the...

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Mischevious Alex Back Sprinting in Vanderbilt

Undefeated as a sprinter this season, Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief) will turn back to six furlongs after being defeated in the one-mile GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. as a likely favorite in Saturday's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. Proving himself as an exciting sophomore prospect last season with back-to-back open-lengths scores in the GIII Swale S. and GIII Gotham S., but missed the triple Crown and failed to crack the trifecta in his last two starts for John Servis when fourth in the...

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Gritty Whitmore 'Still There Being Honest'

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--To illustrate his point about Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), trainer Ron Moquett stepped into the Eclipse Award winner's stall Sunday morning saying, "This is not the time to do this," and rubbed his star's coat with a small towel. Showing his displeasure, Whitmore promptly kicked the wall. Hard. "He is as consistent as the day is long," Moquett said, smiling. "He will do everything the exact same way. Our job is to get done, working with him, knowing his idiosyncrasies." Moquett and his staff live in Whitmore's world, ruled...

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