Coglianese /NYRA Photo Photo

Whitmore closes strong to capture G1 Forego

by Brian Bohl

After a pair of agonizingly close second-place finishes in graded stakes sprints, Whitmore earned a return trip to the winner's circle - and a berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile - by making a strong move from the inside at the top of the stretch and outkicking City of Light and Limousine Liberal to capture the 39th running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego on Saturday, Travers Day, at Saratoga Race Course.

One of six Grade 1 stakes on a 13-race card highlighted by the 149th running of the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers, the Forego was a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup in November at Churchill Downs.

Whitmore, somewhat fractious in the gate, settled under jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. and tracked the early speed as Heartwood led the eight-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.48 seconds with the half going in 44.84 on the fast main track.

Turning for home, Santana found a big opening near the rail and grabbed the lead in upper stretch.

City of Light made a late bid but Whitmore prevailed to win by 1 ½ lengths, completing seven furlongs in 1:21.46. Whitmore won a graded stakes for the first time since the Grade 2 Phoenix in October at Keeneland, building on strong efforts when he ran second to Limousine Liberal by a neck in the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint Championship on July 7 and by the same margin to Imperial Hint in the Grade 2 True North on June 8 at Belmont Park.

"To run that well here, he's as consistent as they come and he tries every time," said trainer Ron Moquett, who co-owns Whitmore with Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners. "He's made a career out of outrunning his trainer and I just hope he keeps doing it. He's a cool dude. He's fun to be around. He's a challenge. He brings that same tenacity on the track.

"He [Santana] has confidence in him. You know you live by the sword you die by the sword. Last time, we didn't make it. This time we look like geniuses."

Off at 8-1, Whitmore paid $19.60 on a $2 win wager. He improved his career bankroll to $1,991,000 and is on target for his second straight Breeders' Cup appearance after running eighth in last year's Sprint at Del Mar.

"We got a perfect trip," Santana said. "That was the trip I wanted. We saved all the ground, and we got lucky that a whole opened on the turn for home. That's when I let him run and he was feeling good today. Last time we got in a little trouble and today we got a clean trip. Everything was perfect and we'll take the victory."

Moquett said Whitmore could next run in this year's edition of the Phoenix on October 6.

"We'll probably look at the Keeneland race, he liked that track, he liked that race, and we'll go from there," he said.

City of Light, the 4-5 favorite making his Saratoga debut after shipping from California for trainer Mike McCarthy, finished a nose in front of Limousine Liberal for second, moving to 4-4-1 in nine career starts.

"I thought the race kind of shaped up as we planned," McCarthy said. "It looked like leaving away from there the ground kind of broke out from him a little bit. He broke real hard and kind of went down half a step and then gathered himself up. I think had we drawn inside it might have been a lot different but he was traveling comfortably throughout, he cut the corner and put in a run but the other horse had already gotten away from him. He put in a super effort; I can't be upset with that."

C Z Rocket, No Dozing, Heartwood, Awesome Slew and Warrior's Club completed the order of finish.