Ribot: Tesio’s Crowning Glory

We all need a bit of inspiration now and then. Currently we need to look no farther than to yesterday's birthday boy, the great Ribot (GB) (Tenerani {Ity}) who was born 70 years ago, on Feb. 27, 1952 at the English National Stud in Dorset. In his early days, Ribot was dismissively referred to as 'Il Piccolo' ('The Little One') by his breeder Federico Tesio, who thought so little of him that he did not enter him for the Derby Italiano, a race with whose demands he was more than familiar, having won it 22 times. Undaunted, Ribot went on to show such utter dominance that within three years he had a different nickname, the adoring Italian public referring to him simply as 'Il Cavallo Super' ('The Super Horse'). With the benefit of hindsight and in the cold light of day, we can comfortably place Ribot in the very top drawer of the international pantheon, vying with Sea-Bird (Fr) and Secretariat for the title of Horse of the Century.

The sadness of Ribot's majesty is that although he turned out to be the crowning glory of the life of Federico Tesio, one of the greatest racing men the world has ever known, Signor Tesio never knew it as he died in May 1954, only a matter of weeks before Ribot made his debut, without being aware just what a paragon he had produced.

Tesio would, of course, still count as the greatest owner/breeder in history (or, as he was once famously described, “the only genius ever to operate in the breeding world”) even without Ribot. He had already bred and raced numerous legendary thoroughbreds including Nearco (Ity) (Pharos {GB}), the unbeaten winner of 14 races including both the Derby Italiano and Grand Prix de Paris in 1938. As Nearco's sons included Nasrullah (Ire), Nearctic (Can) and Royal Charger (GB), without his 18% stakes-winners-to-foals stud career we would have had no Bold Ruler, Northern Dancer (Can) or Sunday Silence.

Another of Tesio star pupils was the 17-time winner Tenerani (Ity) (Bellini {Ity}) who swept the board of Italy's big races as a 3-year-old in 1947 before racing internationally the following year, defeating the subsequent St Leger winner Black Tarquin (Rhodes Scholar {GB}) in the Queen Elizabeth S. (now King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S.) at Ascot before lowering the colours of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Arbar (Fr) (Djebel {Fr}) in the Goodwood Cup. Tenerani was subsequently secured by the English National Stud on a three-year lease to stand at Gillingham in Dorset (which was then the site of the National Stud) alongside its homebred 1942 2000 Guineas winner Big Game (GB) (Bahram {Ire}), who had been Champion Sire of Great Britain and Ireland in 1948. Tesio naturally sent Tenerani some mares while he was in England. These included Ribot's dam Romanella (Ity) (El Greco {Ity}) who visited him in both 1951 and '52. Ribot, consequently, was both conceived and foaled in England, but that should not prevent us from hailing him as the ultimate Italian Thoroughbred.

So steeped in the bloodlines of Tesio's stud Razza Dormello-Olgiata was Ribot that six of his eight great-grandparents had been bred by the great man, the only exceptions being the grandsires of his dam Romanella, i.e. Lord Derby's 1924 Champion S. winner Pharos (GB) (Phalaris {GB}) and Sir John Robinson's 1923 Derby winner Papyrus (GB) (Tracery).

Signor Tesio having died, Ribot, under the care of trainer Ugo Penco, made his debut in the ownership of Tesio's widow Lydia and his long-term business partner Marchese Mario Incisa della Rochetta. He won his first race, the Premio Tramuschio over 1000m at San Siro, and then kept on winning. Although undefeated at two, he didn't do enough in his first season to be regarded as a great horse. His win in Italy's top juvenile race, the Gran Criterium over 1500m at San Siro, was not particularly impressive, but his connections learned a valuable lesson that day. His regular jockey Enrico Camici brought him from the rear and he only just got to the front in time. Thereafter, Camici rode him prominently in every race, and he never had to put him under serious pressure again.

Ribot made a winning resumption as a 3-year-old by taking the Premio Pisa by six lengths before winning the Premio Emanuele Filiberto at San Siro by 10 lengths. He hadn't been entered for Italy's Classics so was contesting lesser races, but his form was rock-solid. For example, he beat his paternal half-brother Derain (Ity) by 10 lengths in the Premio Besana over 2400m at San Siro and then Derain won the St Leger Italiano two weeks later. At the start of October, Ribot and his entourage headed to Paris for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which he won comfortably by three lengths. On his return to Italy, he took the Gran Premio del Jockey-Club over 2400m at San Siro by 15 lengths, bringing a triumphal season to a close and taking his record to nine wins from nine starts.

Ribot's 4-year-old season was even better. His seven races yielded seven easy wins, including victories in the premier weight-for-age race of Italy (the Gran Premio di Milano over 3000m), of Great Britain (the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. over 12 furlongs) and of France (the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400m). He won the latter race even more emphatically than he had done the previous year, cruising home by a wide margin which the judge gave as six lengths but which most observers thought was considerably more than that. At the end of the season, he became one of only a handful of horses in history ever to be given a Timeform rating (142) in excess of the theoretical 10-stone, 140-pound mark of a true champion. Eventually, the millennium ended with him being rated by Tony Morris and John Randall in A Century of Champions as the third-best horse of the 20th century, behind only Sea-Bird and Secretariat. As those two never raced beyond the age of three and thus never won a weight-for-age race without the benefit of a weight allowance, Ribot can arguably be regarded as the best horse in absolute terms.

Ribot began his stud career as a 5-year-old in 1957, the undefeated winner of 16 races and universally regarded as a world champion. He spent his first season at Lord Derby's Woodlands Stud in Newmarket alongside Hyperion (GB) (Gainsborough {GB}) and Alycidon (GB) (Donatello II {Fr}), his services having been secured by a one-year lease. He then went back to Italy, where he spent three seasons at Dormello. In 1959, a deal was struck, at a figure of $1,350,000, with John Galbreath of Darby Dan Stud in the USA which would see him stand in Kentucky for five years, 1961 to '65 inclusive.

However, once Ribot was in the States, complications began to arise because of his increasingly fiery temperament. Although he had been very tractable while racing, as he aged he became increasingly ornery.

The Darby Dan manager Olin Gentry subsequently described his behaviour thus: “Ribot was nuttier than a fruitcake. He would stand on his hind legs and hug trees, or chew the rafters in his stall. He was always a nut. You know, he would straddle a fence and just hang there. He was a nightmare to handle. He almost killed me once.”

Consequently, the decision was taken that Ribot would remain at Darby Dan for the rest of his life, the justifiable belief being that putting him on an aeroplane to bring him back to Europe would present too great a danger. Further leases were therefore negotiated to enable him to remain at Darby Dan indefinitely, which in practice meant until Apr. 27, 1972, when the great horse died of a twisted gut.

The problem about the perception of the stud careers of truly great racehorses is that they cannot escape the overshadowing impossibility of ever siring a horse as good as they had been. It went without saying that none of Ribot's progeny fully inherited his sublime talent. However, he can still be regarded as a great and hugely influential sire. The star of his first crop was the Italian-owned and -trained Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Molvedo (Ity) who won the great race as a 3-year-old in 1961, ridden, fittingly, by Enrico Camici. Ribot went on to produce a second 'Arc' winner three years later, courtesy of a 3-year-old from his fourth and final European crop, Prince Royal (Ity).

Ribot's success as a stallion continued unabated after his transfer to the USA. He was responsible for some of America's best horses of the 1960s including 1969 Horse of the Year Arts And Letters and 1965 Champion Three-Year-Old Colt Tom Rolfe, as well as the high-class full-brothers Graustark and His Majesty, both of whom went on to stand at Darby Dan. Each proved to be very influential, not least thanks to His Majesty's son Pleasant Colony winning the 1981 Kentucky Derby en route to a great stud career and His Majesty's daughter Razyana producing Danehill (Danzig).

Tom Rolfe too enjoyed a great stud career, highlighted  by his sons Hoist The Flag and Run the Gantlet. The former sired some mighty horses including the dual Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Alleged and the brilliant filly Sensational, winner of the 1976 Eclipse Award winner for Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Run The Gantlet was America's Champion Male Turf Horse of 1971 and subsequently produced some outstanding horses in Ireland including Ardross (Ire), Commanche Run (Ire) and April Run (Ire). Another interesting Tom Rolfe horse was Bowl Game, a half-brother to the legendary English-trained dual-purpose champion Sea Pigeon (Sea-Bird {Fr}) and winner of an Eclipse Award in 1979 as Champion Male Turf Horse.

Arts And Letters enjoyed a successful stud career, highlighted by the D. Wayne Lukas-trained 1980 Preakness S., Santa Anita Derby and Hollywood Derby hero Codex and the multiple Grade I winner Winter's Tale who, like his sire, was bred and raced by Paul Mellon's Rokeby Stables. Codex sired several Grade I winners including Badger Land, also trained by Lukas and winner of the GI Flamingo S. at Hialeah in 1986 before becoming best known as Champion Sire of South Africa in 2000/'01.

Pleasant Colony was not the only Kentucky Derby hero who had Ribot in his second generation: the 1974 winner Cannonade (Bold Bidder) was a son of the Ribot mare Queen Sucree.  Cannonade was one of over 100 stakes winners produced by daughters of Ribot, a group which also included the top-class racehorse and sire Majestic Light (Majestic Prince) and the British Classic winners Flying Water (Fr) (Habitat) and Bireme (GB) (Grundy {GB}) as well as Bireme's Coronation Cup-winning half-brother Buoy (GB) (Aureole {GB}) who subsequently went to stud in New Zealand.

Throughout the American phase of Ribot's stud career, a steady stream of his sons and daughters kept finding their way to Europe, an environment arguably more suitable to the line. Most notably the Charles Engelhard-owned, Fulke Johnson Houghton-trained full-brothers Ribocco and Ribero, sons of the Hyperion mare Libra (GB), won consecutive runnings of the Irish Derby, in 1967 and '68. Ribocco, who had won the Observer Gold Cup (now G1 Vertem Futurity S.) at two, followed up that victory by taking the St Leger, thus becoming (for a short while) the highest-earning British-trained racehorse of all time. Engelhard and Johnson Houghton had previously enjoyed significant success with a European-bred son of Ribot when the top-class 3-year-old colt Romulus (GB), a son of Hyperion's great grand-daughter Arietta (GB), enjoyed a superb season in 1962, winning three mile races which now carry Group 1 status: the Sussex S., Prix du Moulin and Queen Elizabeth II S.

Bred on a similar cross to Ribocco, Ribero and Romulus was the Vincent O'Brien-trained 1965 Oaks heroine Long Look, a daughter of Ribot from Santorin, who was by Hyperion's grandson Greek Song. O'Brien subsequently enjoyed further British Classic success with another of Ribot's offspring when Boucher won the St Leger in 1972. The same year saw the Ribot filly Regal Exception, trained in Chantilly by the expatriate Australian John Fellowes, finish second in the Oaks at Epsom before leading all the way to record an emphatic three-length victory in the Irish Oaks at The Curragh, a race in which Ribot also sired the runner-up, the Vincent O'Brien-trained Arkadina. The latter subsequently became the dam of Dark Lomond (Ire) (Lomond) who was trained by O'Brien to win the Irish St Leger in 1988.

Ribot had sired his first Irish Derby winner when Ragusa (Ire) won the race in 1963. Ragusa subsequently became a terrific stallion, responsible for the 1973 Derby winner Morston (GB), the 1974 Ascot Gold Cup winner Ragstone (GB), the 1970 Coronation Cup winner Caliban (GB) and the 1972 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Ballymore (Ire), a remarkable horse who achieved the unusual feat of winning a Classic on his debut. Ballymore went on to enjoy an excellent stud career, highlighted by his Irish 1000 Guineas-winning daughter More So (Ire). Other notable produce of Ballymore included Exdirectory (Ire), who was beaten only a short head by Shirley Heights (GB) in the 1978 Irish Derby, and the 1983 G2 Great Voltigeur S. winner Seymour Hicks (Ire) who ended up as the sire of the outstanding steeplechaser See More Business (Ire).

Ribot's worldwide success as a stallion marked him out as a truly international influence. He was thrice Champion Sire of Great Britain and Ireland (in 1963, '67 and '68) in the days when the Irish Derby, under the sponsorship of the Irish Hospitals Sweep, carried a huge prize and exerted a disproportionate influence on the sires' table. He also finished second behind Brigadier Gerard (GB)'s sire Queen's Hussar (GB) (March Past {GB}) in the table in 1972. He twice finished among the leading sires in both the USA and France, and in 1964 he finished second in the sires' table in Italy, where 12 years later his Arc-winning son Molvedo was Champion Sire. His influence in the Antipodes was also very strong.

At least 15 sons of Ribot made their way to stud in Australasia, most notably Lord Derby's homebred 1962 Manchester Cup hero Latin Lover (GB) who was imported by Harold Nitschke in 1963 to stand at The Nook Stud (Vic). He got off to a great start when his first crop contained the mighty Rain Lover (Aus), the winner of 17 races between one mile and two miles including the VRC Melbourne Cup in both 1968 and '69, the 1968 SAJC Adelaide Cup and 11 weight-for-age races including the 1969 VRC Craiglee S. over a mile. That same crop also contained the 1967 VRC Derby winner Savoy (Aus). Latin Lover's subsequent offspring included 1971 STC Rosehill Guineas winner Latin Knight (Aus), 1973 WATC Australian Derby winner Leica Lover (Aus), 1975 SAJC St Leger winner Opening Bowler and 1970 SAJC Oaks winner Rain Amore, a full-sister to Rain Lover.

Boucher was another son of Ribot who was exported to Australia, whither he went in 1974 to stand at Newhaven Park Stud (NSW). He was an immediate success, being crowned champion first-season sire in 1977/'78. His best horse was the redoubtable 1981 AJC Doncaster H. hero Lawman (Aus), a member of his second crop. Lawman's many great runs included twice finishing among the place-getters in the MVRC Cox Plate. He finished third to Dulcify (NZ) (Decies {GB}) as a 3-year-old in 1979 and second two years later to the mighty Kingston Town (Aus) (Bletchingly {Aus}), whose dam Ada Hunter (Ger) was a daughter of Ribot's Premio Roma Vecchio-winning son Andrea Mategna (Ity).

Arguably the pick of the Ribot stallions to stand in New Zealand was Bucaroon, responsible for 1977 ARC Auckland Cup winner Royal Cadenza.

Ribot's influence at stud goes far beyond the headline-makers at whom we have looked in this tribute, with many other of his sons and grandsons enjoying success at stud around the world, over and above the ones we have examined here. In the months subsequent to Ribot's birth 70 years ago, Federico Tesio may have felt that he had merely produced a little acorn, but the history books now show that that little acorn grew into a truly mighty Italian oak.

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Flashback: Pleasantly Perfect Denies Medaglia D’Oro In 2004 Dubai World Cup

The Dubai World Cup meeting celebrates its historic 25th anniversary on March 27, with six Group 1 races and three Group 2s, including one of the world's premier races, the $12 million Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline.

Over the next three weeks, the Dubai Racing Club will pay tribute to each of the previous Dubai World Cup winners. Today, we rewind to 2004 when Pleasantly Perfect won the Dubai World Cup in thrilling fashion.

Such was the reputation that arrived with Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro that not even the previous year's UAE Derby winner and Al Maktoum Challenge champion Victory Moon, nor the Japan Cup Dirt winner Fleetstreet Dancer or Japan's finest dirt runner, Admire Don, could garner much support when opinions were sought as to the likely winner of the Dubai World Cup.

Pleasantly Perfect and fierce rival Medaglia D'Oro were different, and many were expecting them to repeat their battle of four months previously in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, some going further and predicting that the former would emulate inaugural winner Cigar and follow his Breeders' Cup win with a Dubai World Cup success.

Pre-event predictions of match races and classic encounters hardly ever come to fruition, however this would be different. As strong a field as was assembled for this Dubai World Cup, Victory Moon, Fleetstreet Dancer, Admire Don and seven others would be relegated to just bit players as Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro made Nad Al Sheba the venue for some scores to be settled from Santa Anita.

Jerry Bailey, rider of Medaglia D'Oro, decided to make his move shortly after turning into the long Nad Al Sheba straight and for a few strides it appeared the horse could carry him to Dubai World Cup success number four. Bailey, however, didn't need to glance over his right shoulder to discover who was within his shadows, his nemesis from Santa Anita was right there and ready to challenge.

Such is the size of Pleasantly Perfect that he doesn't appear to quicken, merely lengthen his giant stride, and as he did, so he drew alongside Medaglia D'Oro at the 400m. Further back Victory Moon was beginning to make some ground, however all attention was with the leading two. They drew away from the chasing pack and as hard as Medaglia D'Oro tried to come back, Pleasantly Perfect was too big, too strong, on an evening where both would receive the plaudits.

Nad Al Sheba erupted as Pleasantly Perfect and Alex Solis eventually drew clear to win by just under a length, however as good as the win was, their appreciation was also for the brave second placegetter. Victory Moon was far from disgraced in finishing third five lengths away, himself a long way in front of the fourth, Grand Hombre, the horse entrusted by Godolphin to give them a hat-trick of Dubai World Cup successes.

However, with Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro it was always going to be a tough assignment. For Richard Mandella it was the breakthrough he so eagerly sought. This was an event where two top class horses proved themselves superior to their rivals with the winner arguably just that little bit better than the second.

Pleasantly Perfect finished his career winning nine of eighteen starts, with earnings close to a record US$8 million.

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Fourth Time Lucky In the Sprint for Fan-Favorite Whitmore

Making his fourth consecutive appearance in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, the 7-year-old gelding Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) did what few have done over the course of the weekend–rally from far back on the main track to score an 18-1 upset in the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint Saturday at Keeneland.

The $4.2-million earner lagged in the latter third of the field early as Japanese raider Jasper Prince (Violence) ensured a fast pace, chased along by fellow longshot Empire of Gold (Goldencents). Traveling nicely within himself on the turn, Whitmore crept into it while steadily gaining on the leaders, angled out into the three path entering the final furlong and outran C Z Rocket (City Zip) to the wire to take it by 3 1/4 lengths. Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior) rallied up the inside to just touch Empire of Gold out of third.

Heavily favored sophomore Yaupon (Uncle Mo), unbeaten in four prior attempts racing on the engine, including Saratoga’s GII Amsterdam S., tired to eighth after chasing the early leaders on the outside from third.

“I said in the pre-race interview that whenever there are this many track records, it’s almost impossible to think a closer is going to do well,” winning trainer and co-owner Ron Moquett said after saddling his first Breeders’ Cup winner. “For him to run against the bias the way he did and the patience of the rider [Irad Ortiz, Jr.], the willingness to listen, it all worked out. I’m so proud of the horse, proud for the connections. I’m proud for everyone out there that’s thinking when you run last in the Kentucky Derby, kick them out, do right by the horse come back, and you have a shot to reach other dreams. You don’t discard them. You just do right by the horse and it keeps working out.

Moquett continued, “I’m just grateful. Grateful for the horse. Grateful to everyone that sends me well wishes and congratulations after the race. Just grateful.”

Two years ago Moquett was diagnosed with autoimmune disease, which affects the lungs and can make breathing difficult. The disease forced him to avoid the racetrack for several months.

Whitmore, who gave Moquett his second career Grade I victory in the 2018 Forego at Saratoga, has helped the affable trainer get through his darkest days.

“Right after the race they come up and they want to do interviews, and for a little bit, for a guy that’s lung compromised, I’m sitting over here trying to go, ‘Okay, first you catch your breath and then you can talk and then when you put these, what I call life restrictors on me, then it makes it that much harder to get air through there,'” Moquett said.

“He’s everything. You get a horse like this, and all horses, I mean, we drive across the country all the time just to see horses. But a horse like this that tries and fights and gives you everything consistently, you want to be there. I’m not saying that even in one of these big barns that he wouldn’t have performed beautifully and done just as well, but I am saying that Whitmore in a big outfit may not have received the exact attention that he needed to get there. So, I use that as motivation. If I’m not there to do my job, who is going to do it?”

Whitmore, a Classics hopeful after finishing third in the GI Arkansas Derby in 2016, finished 19th in that year’s GI Kentucky Derby.

Re-invented as a sprinter since, Whitmore finished eighth in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar, second to Roy H (More Than Ready) at Churchill two years ago and third to Mitole (Eskendereya) last year at Santa Anita.

Whitmore lined up six previous times this season, led by wins in Oaklawn’s Hot Springs S. (4x winner) and GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. (3x winner). This term’s GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. runner-up entered off a flat fourth in the local GII Phoenix S.

Whitmore is campaigned in partnership by Robert LaPenta, Moquett and Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Partners LLC.

“It’s just an incredible win,” said Kumin, also a co-owner of Friday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire) and Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). “You own lots of horses, but very rarely do you find one that is a fighter like this guy, with so much heart. All the credit goes to Ron and his team and Whitmore because he’s just, you know, he’s a warrior and it was just amazing to see today.”

Will we see the popular gelding back again at age eight?

“I see no reason, as long as Whitmore wants to do it. I see no reason to do anything but what he wants to do,” Moquett concluded.

Pedigree Notes:

The veteran Whitmore, who would undoubtedly win any popularity contests of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup, is the most accomplished horse sired by 2003 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect–although the latter also sired 2010 GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Shared Account, who in turn foaled 2019 GI Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Sharing (Speightstown)–from his 20 black-type winners and seven graded winners. Pleasantly Perfect died in June in Turkey, where he had stood from 2015-2019. Whitmore is out of the Scat Daddy mare Melody’s Spirit, who was unraced and produced Whitmore as her first foal. Her 2-year-old colt Skip Intro (Liam’s Map) is a barnmate of Whitmore’s in Ron Moquett’s shedrow and was second in a Churchill maiden special weight Nov. 1. Melody’s Spirit’s yearling colt by Arrogate–named Arrogates Spirit–was a $170,000 RNA at Keeneland September. The mare has been bred back to Constitution. The late Scat Daddy’s record as a sire has been well documented, but he also has nine black-type winners out of his daughters, led by Whitmore.

Saturday, Keeneland
BREEDERS’ CUP SPRINT-GI, $1,840,000, Keeneland, 11-7, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:08.61, ft.
1–WHITMORE, 126, g, 7, by Pleasantly Perfect
                1st Dam: Melody’s Spirit, by Scat Daddy
                2nd Dam: Capture the Cat, by Tale of the Cat
                3rd Dam: Ten Flags, by Seattle Slew
O-Robert V. LaPenta, Ron Moquett & Head of Plains Partners
LLC; B-John Liviakis (KY); T-Ron Moquett; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$1,040,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 38-15-11-3, $4,247,850.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. 
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–C Z Rocket, 126, g, 6, City Zip–Successful Sarah, by Successful
Appeal. ($800,000 2yo ’16 OBSOPN). O-Madaket Stables LLC,
Gary Barber & Tom Kagele; B-Farm III Enterprises LLC (FL);
T-Peter Miller. $340,000.
3–Firenze Fire, 126, h, 5, Poseidon’s Warrior–My Every Wish, by
Langfuhr. O/B-Mr Amore Stables (FL); T-Kelly J. Breen.
$180,000.
Margins: 3 1/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 18.40, 5.90, 8.80.
Also Ran: Empire of Gold, Manny Wah, Diamond Oops, Hog Creek Hustle, Yaupon, Lasting Legacy, Bon Raison, Frank’s Rockette, Collusion Illusion, Echo Town, Jasper Prince. Scratched: Vekoma. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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7-Year-Old Whitmore Returns To Saratoga For ‘Tough’ Edition Of Alfred G. Vanderbilt

Six-time graded stakes-winner Whitmore will return to historic Saratoga Race Course for the first time since winning the 2018 Grade 1 Forego when the veteran son of Pleasantly Perfect looks to notch his third straight victory during his 2020 campaign in the Grade 1, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Owned by Robert LaPenta, Southern Springs Stables and Head of Plains Partners, Whitmore has been a model of consistency in a career that started with a debut win in the fall of 2015. The 7-year-old is 14-10-3 with earnings of more than $3.14 million in 34 starts for trainer Ron Moquett. He came to prominence on the 2016 Kentucky Derby trail, where he ran second in both the Grade 3 Southwest and the Grade 2 Rebel while finishing third in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby before a 19th-place performance in that year's Run for the Roses.

As he's gotten older, Whitmore has earned repeated trips to the winners' circle and has come close on other occasions, such as his runner-up effort to Roy H in the 2018 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, and third behind champion male sprinter Mitole and Shancelot in last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.

Whitmore enters the Vanderbilt off back-to-back wins in the Hot Springs [which he captured for the fourth consecutive time] and a three-quarter length score last out in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint in April at Oaklawn Park. Moquett said the layoff's benefit could be more pronounced near the end of the campaign with what he hopes is another Breeders' Cup appearance, scheduled for November in Keeneland.

“I don't think it's as beneficial for this race as the rest of the year,” he said. “It'll show up that we gave him a breather around October or November. He's doing good, now. He looks happy.”

Competing at the Vanderbilt's six-furlong distance, Whitmore is 12-6-2 in 21 career starts, with his only off-the-board finish coming when eighth in the 2017 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar. He will carry the co-highweight of 123 pounds on Saturday.

“Options are limited for a sprinter in North America this year due to the COVID-19 and all the changes, so we're adjusting. We always wanted to compete in this race with him,” Moquett said.

Whitmore's 2018 Forego win featured him besting City of Light, who would come back to win the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the Grade 1 Pegasus the following January.

“It was a great race and one my favorite races of all time,” Moquett said. “I'd really would like to win the Vanderbilt now. There's a ton of quality horses running in it, so it's going to be a tough, but fun, race.”

Joel Rosario, aboard during Whitmore's runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Phoenix in October at Keeneland, as well as his seventh-place effort in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in December at Aqueduct Racetrack, will return to ride from post 2.

“I try to stick with familiarity with him as much as I can, and Joel is a quality rider,” Moquett said.

Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire has four wins in his last five starts dating to November. Off a nearly four-month layoff, and with Kelly Breen taking over the training duties, the 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior ran fourth in the Grade 1 Carter, a seven-furlong sprint on Belmont Park's main track on June 6, before roaring back three weeks later to win the Grade 2 True North on June 27.

After registering his 10th career stakes win, Firenze Fire, who ran fifth in last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint, will get another crack at the Vanderbilt after running fourth in last year's edition won by Imperial Hint. He will carry 122 pounds.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has won his last three starts aboard the veteran with $1.93 million in earnings, having piloted him to the True North score as well a four-length win in the Grade 3 in February at Laurel Park and the Fabulous Strike in November at Penn National. He will exit from post 3 on Saturday.

“We got Irad back, everything is doing well,” Breen said. “We just need things to keep going smooth. I believe the distance will suit him really well. He's doing as well as he was into his last race.”

Volatile has shown the form that made him a big-priced purchase for the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, winning four of his first five career starts. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen saw the Violence colt win two of his three starts as a sophomore. After a 7 ½-length win against allowance company started his 4-year-old year on April 24 at Oaklawn, the $850,000 purchase was moved up to stakes company for the first time, where he dominated the six-horse field for an eight-length win in the Aristides at the Vanderbilt distance on June 6 at Churchill Downs, garnering a 112 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred Partners and Three Chimneys Farm, Volatile will make both his Saratoga and graded stakes debut, carrying 121 pounds from post 4 with Ricardo Santana, Jr. retaining the mount for the fifth straight start.

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control has the potential to post a Grade 1 win as both a juvenile, 3-year-old and now a 4-year-old if he can win the Vanderbilt for trainer Gregg Sacco.

Both of the Stay Thristy colt's Grade 1 scores have come at Saratoga, starting with the seven-furlong Hopeful in 2018 and last year when he edged Hog Creek Hustle by a nose in the H. Allen Jerkens on Runhappy Travers Day. After starting 2020 with back-to-back Grade 3 wins at Aqueduct in the Toboggan and Tom Fool, respectively, Mind Control returned off a three-month layoff to run sixth in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter.

Sacco will ship him up from his base a Monmouth Park to the friendly confines of Saratoga. Drawing the outermost post 5 carrying the co-highweight of 123 pounds, Mind Control will look to reach a special accomplishments for his connections, including the Brunetti family and Sol Kumin.

“He's 2-for-2 there, so he does have an affinity for Saratoga and we're excited to get him back there and hope he performs well,” Sacco said. “To go for Grade 1 wins at 2, 3 and 4 would be special for him and our team and the Brunettis and Sol Kumin. It's very exciting to bring him back, but we expect a very tough race and we're just hoping Mind Control gives us his top performance.”

Hall of Famer and three-time Vanderbilt-winning jockey John Velazquez will be in the irons.

Calumet Farm's Lexitonian, winner of the 2019 Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico, will be making his first Grade 1 appearance since running 10th in the 2019 Woody Stephens at Belmont.

Trained by Jack Sisterson, Lexitonian defeated optional claimers last out on May 29 at Churchill and will cut back from seven furlongs. The 4-year-old Speightstown colt will carry 116 pounds, drawing post 1 with Tyler Gaffalione aboard.

The 36th running of the Vanderbilt is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card, which will also offer the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa for older fillies and mares on the turf in Race 3. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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