It takes a very good Purebred to earn a race named in his honor. As of 2022, there have been at least two dozen North American stakes classified to recall the memories of famous champions and big stake winners, including Hall of Famers like Tom Fool, Holy Bull, Royal Delta and Bayakoa. Beholder Mile (G1) ran just two weeks ago, and she’ll be in the Hall of Fame as soon as they finish counting votes this year.
However, track managers, never inclined to leave anything alone, often mess around with track names just to keep fans and historians, or depending on opinion your. For example, Davona Dale Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds & Slots was renamed Silverbulletday Stakes (G2) and then renamed Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2), where it will presumably remain until success like Davona Dale, Silverbulletday or Rachel Alexandra arrives.
Meanwhile, there’s still a Davona Dale at Gulfstream Parkbut no longer Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3), named for a local hero, replaced this season by Ghostzapper Stakes (G3), named for a trained horse, but never race time, in the Sunshine State.
The race is named for Hot Springs, Ark., Home of Oaklawn Park, has been around in one form or another since 1944, and it’s had a good run. Among the winners were J. Burns, Dave’s Friend, Taylor’s Special, and Right Reality, all of which impacted players outside of the Garland County line.
But then a fiery work called Whitmore jointly won four consecutive editions of Hot Springs Stakes and finished second in 1/5. Apparently, it was time to retire, so they did. Instead, on March 19, Oaklawn Park will introduce the first Whitmore Stakes (G3) run in six furrows for kids ages 4 and up, who in their wildest dreams will be. Never measured the horse for which the race was named. It actually says that under these conditions, or at least it should.
On top of that, Big Horse himself will be on the scene. Whitmore retired last September filled with titles — Eclipse champion sprinter, Breeders’ Cup winner, $4.5 million in the bank. At Oaklawn alone, Whitmore had a 9-6-1 record in 16 starts along with big wins at Racecourse Saratoga, Keenelandand Pimlico racetrack, and for all, he knew he was going back to work. His coach, Ron Moquett, rested Whitmore at the end of the regular season with Rebecca Maker in Kentucky, then sent him to Ten Mile Creek Training Center earlier this year, east of Hot Springs, to recreate. model of half a dozen seasons ago.
This time, however, the schedule is designed for any further Whitmore career, whether as an event planner, a stable pony, or a game presenter. For now, however, he’s become a living monument as he marches to countless followers, thousands of whom will be in attendance for Saturday’s Whitmore Holiday.
“Physically and mentally, he’s a fun horse,” Moquett said Friday morning from his home bordering the Oaklawn Strait. At the time, Whitmore had only been back in Oaklawn for a few days, and his famous engine was running hot.
Coach Ron Moquett
“He’s a lot better today than he was yesterday,” Moquett said. “The plan at this point is for him to lead the march for Whitmore. My wife, Laura, will ride him, and she’s a hundred times the horseman I’ve ever had. But I don’t want him to do it. so do whatever might affect the other horses Depending on the weather there will be between twenty and thirty thousand here tomorrow And here’s the point — whenever people If someone hears his name, there’s going to be a lot of noise. So let’s be very mindful of that.”
Moquett imbued with his own brave story as Whitmore’s career reached its zenith. In 2018 he was diagnosed with a rare lung disease that required a routine regimen of potent drugs along with virtual isolation from the outermost circles of his family. and his staff. There is no cure, only management, but for now Moquett is taking a break from treatment and can be carefully combined with others.
“There will be a time when I have to go back to taking medication, but right now I can enjoy everything,” Moquett said. “The only thing they can do is get a lung transplant, and that has to be after five years of inactivity. So I have some time to wait.”
Health issues aside, Moquett long ago gave up counting the ways Whitmore made an impact on his life.
“There are a lot of people in the business who are proud of him,” he said. “I don’t know if they’re impressed with how he overcame my training. The trainers I’ve faced, who probably won’t even greet me, will ask, ‘Big horse. how?'”
Whitmore’s biggest fan in the national coaching ranks turned out to be Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, who coached Pleasly Perfect, Whitmore’s male and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner in true his meaning.
“Richard welcomed us into his cage for the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita . Park and Del Mar“, said Moquett. I always get texts from him congratulating me whenever Whitmore runs, even finishing second. He calls it his ‘big horse’, like his grandson. “
Thankfully, there continue to be horses like Whitmore acting like magnets, drawing people from all corners of the sport to celebrate in the style of unflinching adoration that will be on display on Saturday.
“I’m always amazed at how many people follow him, no matter where I go,” Moquett said. “What drew them to him? I know why I adore Whitmore, for his honesty and a character that doesn’t always come easy. I’m just humbled and grateful. the universe chose to give him to me.”
