Whitmore confirmed for another shot at the Breeders' Cup

When trainer Ron Moquett cross-entered Whitmore in the Breeders' Cup Sprint and Dirt Mile last week, he was unsure which race the gelding would go in, or whether he'd ship out to Santa Anita Park at all.

The answer arrived Sunday when Moquett confirmed the son of Pleasantly Perfect, second off the bench last time in Keeneland's Phoenix Stakes (G2), will travel west on Tuesday for the $2 million Sprint.

A 6-year-old, Whitmore ran second to Roy H in last year's edition from his own stall at Churchill Downs. This year, the primary competition figures to come from Mitole, who leads the division's Eclipse Award race.

The ownership group of Robert LaPenta, Sol Kumin's Head of Plains Partners and Moquett hesitated to declare Whitmore knowing they'll go for another season next year, likely hitting familiar race spots at Oaklawn Park and Churchill.

A rider will be named later for the Sprint.

“There’s a lot of horses that will run at Breeders’ Cup, and that’ll be the last time they run,” the trainer said last week. “What happens after that race and what comes out isn’t necessarily the same concern as me. Some will go to stud. Some of them will be sold as broodmares. Mine’s a gelding, and he’s going to get to go back into training.”

Whitmore won the listed Hot Springs Stakes to open his campaign, ran second to Mitole in the Count Fleet Sprint (G3) but then missed the board in two other starts. Following the True North (G2) last June, Moquett called for a layoff, and Whitmore returned to miss by just a half length in the Phoenix.

"He’s as good now as he’s been in a long time," Moquett said last week, with Whitmore going a easy half mile Saturday in his final work toward the Breeders' Cup.

Overall, Whitmore has won 12 of 29 starts with earnings surpassing $2.6 million.