Tag: Ron Moquett

Whitmore to Make ’21 Debut in Hot Springs S.

The freshly-minted Eclipse Award winning sprinter Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) will try to add to his seven Oaklawn stakes wins this winter, according to part-owner–along with Bob LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners–and trainer Rron Moquett. Whitmore punctuated his 2020 campaign with a dominating victory in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland.

“I think the reaction that we get from the rest of the people kind of mimics how we feel all the time about him,” Moquett said Friday morning. “It's like everybody's giving him credit, loving him or whatever. But Arkansas people kind of already thought that he was a champion, regardless, and it's kind of like the rest of world got to see what we've been thinking for three years.”

Among the gelding's 2020 Oaklawn starts, he took the Hot Springs S. last March-winning for a record fourth consecutive year–and a record third GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. in April.

Moquett confirmed Friday that the 8-year-old, who is currently in training at Oaklawn, will target a similar path in 2021 as to his championship season, beginning with the Hot Springs S. Mar. 13. Whitmore's major spring objective, according to Moquett, is again the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. April 10. Both races are at six furlongs.

“Still the plan,” Moquett said. “He's going to run a mile and a half at Oaklawn [this winter].”

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Moquett Emotional After Whitmore Named Champion Sprinter Of 2020

Oaklawn's top male sprinter last year can now be called the best nationally, too.

The ultra-popular Whitmore, a seven-time Oaklawn stakes winner co-owned and trained by Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, was named the country's champion male sprinter of 2020 during the 50th annual Eclipse Awards ceremony Thursday night.

Whitmore received 132 first-place votes from members of the three consolidated voting blocs – Equibase, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. Vekoma finished second with 83, followed by three other 2020 Oaklawn-raced horses in Volatile (16), Charlatan (four) and C Z Rocket (three).

Three finalists in each division were announced Jan. 16, established through a 10-5-1 point system from earlier voting. Eclipse Award winners were determined solely by first-place votes.

Whitmore compiled a 3-2-0 mark from seven starts last year, punctuating his resume with a dominating victory in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

The gelding's other two victories came at Oaklawn, his winter home since 2016. He won the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes in March for a record fourth consecutive year and the $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) in April for a record third time.

“I think the reaction that we get from the rest of the people kind of mimics how we feel all the time about him,” Moquett said Friday morning. “It's like everybody's giving him credit, loving him or whatever. But Arkansas people kind of already thought that he was a champion, regardless, and it's kind of like the rest of world got to see what we've been thinking for three years.”

Whitmore is training at Oaklawn in preparation for his scheduled 8-year-old debut in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes March 13. Whitmore's major spring objective, Moquett said, is again the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 10. Both races are 6 furlongs.

“Still the plan,” Moquett said. “He's going to run a mile and a half at Oaklawn.”

Moquett received one first-place vote for outstanding trainer. But Whitmore, his prized gelding, had more than enough support to grab his first Eclipse Award after finishing eighth, second and third in the previous three runnings of the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“He's a cool horse,” Moquett said.

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Odds And Ends: Cox Second Trainer To Win Four Cup Races, Quartet Of Jockeys, Trainers Have Breakthrough Wins

Brad Cox became the second trainer in the 37-year history of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to train four winners during a single Championships, matching the feat of Richard Mandella in 2003 at Santa Anita.

Cox won the final two races on Future Stars Friday with Aunt Pearl (IRE) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) with Essential Quality.

On Saturday, he sent out Knicks Go, who shattered the track record in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1), and Monomoy Girl to her second victory in the Longines Distaff (G1).

In 2003, Mandella saddled four Breeders' Cup winners under the single-day format of the Championships conducted from 1984-2006.

Authentic Becomes Sixth Kentucky Derby Winner to Take Classic 
Authentic became the sixth Kentucky Derby winner to capture the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and fourth to do it in the same year. The other 3-year-olds to win the Classic are Sunday Silence (1989), Unbridled (1990) and American Pharoah (2015). Ferdinand, the 1986 Derby winner, and Alysheba, the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner, both came back the following year to win the Classic as 4-year-olds.                               

Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Third Consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode two winners and added a second- and third-place finish, won the 18th annual Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey in the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships hosted by Keeneland.

Ortiz's victories came on Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2) and Whitmore (Sprint-G1). He finished second on Improbable in the Classic (G1) and third on Sharp Samurai in the Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (G1).

Joel Rosario, Florent Geroux, John Velazquez and Pierre-Charles Boudot also rode two winners.

Rosario, who rode three winners in 2018 at Churchill Downs and two last year at Santa Anita, got his 2020 victories on Vequist (Juvenile Fillies-G1) and Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1)

Geroux's two victories came on Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1). Velasquez won the Longines Classic (G1) on Authentic and the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) on Gamine. Boudot picked up his first two Breeders' Cup victories on Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on Order of Australia (IRE).

Four Jockeys Claim Initial Breeders' Cup Victories 
Four riders posted their first Breeders' Cup victories over the weekend.

Pierre-Charles Boudot, who was riding in his third Breeders' Cup, picked up his first two Breeders' Cup victories on Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1) and the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) on Order of Australia (IRE).

Luis Saez, riding in his seventh World Championships, won the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) on Essential Quality.

Tom Eaves, riding in his first Breeders' Cup, won the Turf Sprint (G1) on Glass Slippers (GB).

Colin Keane, also riding in his first Breeders' Cup, won the Longines Turf (G1) on Tarnawa (IRE).

Weld, Three Other Trainers Post Initial Breeders' Cup Victories
Dermot Weld, who saddled his first two Breeders' Cup starters in 1985, broke through Saturday with his first victory in the World Championships when Tarnawa (IRE) won the Longines Turf (G1). Tarnawa represented Weld's 17th Breeders' Cup starter.  james fan

Also picking up their initial victories were Ron Moquett, Kevin Ryan and James Fanshawe.

Moquett won the Sprint (G1) with Whitmore who was running in the Sprint for the fourth consecutive year. Moquett, who saddled his first Breeders' Cup runner in 1999, has started two other horses besides Whitmore.

Ryan, who won the Turf Sprint (G1) with Glass Slippers (GB), had had only one previous Breeders' Cup starter with East (GB), who had finished second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Fanshawe won with his first Breeders' Cup starter, Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1).

Five Favorites Won Over the Weekend 
Five favorites delivered victories from the 14 Championship races during the 2020 Breeders' Cup at Keeneland with three more finishing second.

The winning favorites were Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2), Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1), Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1), Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1).

The highest price winner of the weekend was Order of Australia (IRE) in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) with a $148.40 win mutuel on a $2 bet.

Kentucky and European-Based Runners Dominate at Keeneland 
There were 14 World Championship races this weekend at Keeneland and Kentucky-based runners accounted for victories in half of them.

The Kentucky-based winners were Golden Pal (Juvenile Turf Sprint-G2), Fire At Will (Juvenile Turf presented by Coolmore America-G1), Aunt Pearl (IRE) (Juvenile Fillies Turf-G1), Essential Quality (TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance-G1), Whitmore (Sprint-G1), Knicks Go (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile-G1) and Monomoy Girl (Longines Distaff-G1).

The Europeans made a clean sweep of the four turf races Saturday starting with Glass Slippers (GB) in the Turf Sprint (G1) and followed by Audarya (FR) in the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1), Order of Australia (IRE) in the FanDuel Mile presented by PDJF (G1) and Tarnawa (IRE) in the Longines Turf (G1).

California was represented by two winners, both trained by Bob Baffert and both track record-setters: Gamine (Filly & Mare Sprint-G1) and Authentic (Longines Classic-G1).

The other winner was Parx-based Vequist in Friday's Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Jockeys (by earnings)

Jockey Earnings
Mike Smith* $36,634,605
John Velazquez* $27,730,275
Frankie Dettori* $25,751,862
Pat Day $23,033,360
Joel Rosario* $22,182,535
Jerry Bailey $22,006,440
Javier Castellano* $20,547,600
Gary Stevens $20,299,255

*Denotes Active Jockey

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Jockeys (by wins)

Jockey Wins
Mike Smith* 26
John Velazquez* 18
Jerry Bailey 15
Frankie Dettori* 14
Garrett Gomez 13
Javier Castellano* 12
Pat Day 12
Joel Rosario* 13
Irad Ortiz Jr. 11
Gary Stevens  11

*Denotes Active Jockey

 

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Trainers (by earnings)

Trainer Earnings
Bob Baffert* $34,985,000
Aidan O'Brien * $26,645,590
D. Wayne Lukas *  $22,672,520
Todd Pletcher* $21,508,030
Chad Brown* $20,000,690
Bill Mott* $19,936,900
Steve Asmussen* $14,262,180

*Denotes Active Trainer

 

 

Breeders' Cup World Championships Leading Trainers (by win)

Trainer Wins
D. Wayne Lukas* 20
Bob Baffert* 17
Chad Brown * 15
Aidan O'Brien * 13
Todd Pletcher* 11
Shug McGaughey* 9
Bill Mott* 9
Richard Mandella* 9
Sir Michael Stoute* 8
Brad Cox 7
Neil Drysdale 6
Bobby Frankel 6

*Denotes Active Trainer

 

Jockeys Who Won Their First Breeders' Cup World Championships race in 2020

Jockey Horse Race
Pierre-Charles Boudot Audarya (FR) Filly & Mare Turf
Tom Eaves Glass Slippers (GB) Turf Sprint
Colin Keane Tarnawa (IRE) Turf
Luis Saez Essential Quality Juvenile

 

Trainers Who Won Their First Breeders' Cup World Championships race in 2020

Trainer Horse Race
James Fanshawe Audarya (FR) Filly & Mare Turf
Ron Moquett Whitmore Sprint
Kevin Ryan Glass Slippers (GB) Turf Sprint
Dermot Weld Tarnawa (IRE) Turf

 

Future Sites

The 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California, Nov. 5-6, 2021 and return to Keeneland for the 39threnewal Nov. 4-5, 2022.

The post Odds And Ends: Cox Second Trainer To Win Four Cup Races, Quartet Of Jockeys, Trainers Have Breakthrough Wins appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Sprint: Whitmore To Get Well-Deserved Vacation, Point For 8-Year-Old Campaign

Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Whitmore, who was making his fourth start in the race, was back at Louisville, Ky., in his Churchill Downs stall not long after the Breeders' Cup races concluded and enjoyed some hydrotherapy in an equine spa Sunday morning. He'll stay at Churchill for about a week before leaving to have his normal vacation at Rebecca Maker's farm in Versailles, Ky., according to trainer and co-owner Ron Moquett.

As long as the horse continues to show he wants to run, the Pleasantly Perfect gelding will race again next year at age 8.

“That was awesome,” Moquett said. “It's always fun when you are a big fan of a horse and they win. It's even better when you are a fan and their trainer. Laura (Moquett, wife and assistant) said he was cooled out by the time they got to the test barn.”

When asked who was more tired this morning, him or the horse, Moquett said it was probably him.

“I stayed up late last night responding to texts from people congratulating me. They may not even like me, but they like the horse. I had texts from (Richard) Mandella, (Bob) Baffert, (Steve) Asmussen, (Todd) Pletcher, (Nick) Zito and (D. Wayne) Lukas. I'm so proud that Whitmore's touched those guys because they know something about a good horse.”

Whitmore was unplaced in 2017, second in 2018 and third the Sprint in 2019.

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