Whitmore faces a new challenge in the Thoroughbred Makeover

Throughout his racing career, Whitmore captured the hearts of fans. He raced through seven seasons, growing from Kentucky Derby contender to champion sprinter. He finally hung up his racing plates at 8 years old, after suffering a minor apical fracture in his left foreleg in the Grade 1 Forego Stakes last year. He has since healed, and this weekend his admirers got the chance to cheer him on again in a new context.

On Thursday, he made his show debut in the competitive trail division of the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover. Trained and ridden by Laura Moquett, Whitmore placed tenth. Though only the top five made the finals, it still placed him in the top quartile of the division.

Ron Moquett, husband of Laura Moquett and Whitmore's on-track trainer, relished the chance for his longtime stable star to showcase more of what Thoroughbreds can do. He said, "we wanted to promote the fact that these are awesome animals, and they're not just awesome at the racetrack. They're awesome for anything. They're loyal. They're brave. They're willing."

Laura Moquett was pleased with Whitmore's performance in the Makeover. "He really kept his composure well.  He got spooked at the flag whacking him in the face, and was able to come back to the ground and stay calm, which I didn't think would happen. ... He tried everything out there and still finished within the time allowed."

The choice of competitive trail came down to several factors. "We decided on competitive trail because, coming off of his injury, I just didn't want to press him," she said. "I knew I was going to have limited time and physically I didn't want to do anything big with him first-year." She also explained that the mental challenge of doing competitive trail would suit Whitmore's intelligence and help prepare him for other disciplines as his second career continues.

Laura Moquett has yet to commit to a strict plan for Whitmore's future, however. "I'm keeping it loose. I don't really have a plan for him ... (Whitmore is) the only horse I've ever had that I didn't have a goal with. He's just going to be around for the next 30 years, hopefully. We'll just play it by ear."