DAY 2 of 57
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 16,000
TOTAL HANDLE $3,983,766
ON-TRACK HANDLE $1,086,940
TODAY’S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Gates open 10:45 a.m; Gulfstream Park, 11 a.m.; Aqueduct, 11:20 a.m; Tampa Bay, 11:25 a.m.; Laurel Park, 11:30 a.m.; Fair Grounds, 1:25 p.m.; Santa Anita, 2:30 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.
SATURDAY’S STARS
New York-based Jose Ortiz, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s top jockey in 2016, won his first two races of the meet Saturday. Ortiz won the fourth race when he rode Rockshaw to a 2 ¾-length victory over D R C Majestic Man, covering 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.31. Rockshaw paid $5.80, $3.20 and $2.40. Ortiz won the eighth race when he won The Pippin Stakes, riding Terra Promessa to a 2 ¼-length victory over Ready to Confess, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.16. Ready to Confess paid $4.60, $3.60 and $2.60. Also winning two races was Geovanni Franco, who won the sixth when he rode Comic Bird to a 1-length victory over Dan the Go to Man. Comic Bird covered the 1-mile race in 1:38.54 and paid $16.40, $6.00 and $4.00. Franco won the ninth race, riding Smokin Now to a 3 ¾-length victory over Seven Forty Seven. Smokin Now’s winning time was 1:10.47 in the 6-furlong race and paid $11.40, $6.60 and $4.20.
WHITMORE MAKES DEBUT TODAY Whitmore is scheduled to make his debut in today’s eighth race, a third-level allowance/option claiming sprint. Trainer Ron Moquett said it was a spot that he had been favoring for weeks with Whitmore, who is unbeaten in three career sprint races. “That’s the race was I pointing to,” Moquett said. “At the same time, you want to keep your options open if that other race would have come up super-duper easy or something.” Whitmore was a leading 3-year-old last season at Oaklawn, finishing second in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes and $900,000 Rebel Stakes and third in the $1 million Arkansas Derby. After finishing 19th in the Kentucky Derby, Whitmore had an extended break before reappearing with a sharp second-level allowance/ optional claiming 1 ½-length victory at 6 furlongs Dec. 3 at Aqueduct. He won his Oaklawn debut in 2016 in a 6-furlong allowance coming off the pace and winning by 3 ¼ lengths. Whitmore is 0 for 5 around two turns, so the outcome of today’s race may determine his racing path the next few months. “I say we just let him decide,” Moquett said. “We’ll look at this race and see if he’s comfortable with upper-echelon sprinters. There are some in there. He’s a gelding, so what we’re trying to do is make as much money with him as we can.” Whitmore was nominated to the $300,000 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, but Moquett said he decided to pass the 7-furlong race because of concerns over travel arrangements. A winner of 3 of 8 lifetime starts, Whitmore has bankrolled $516,400 for Moquett and co-owners Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum. “I know one thing,” Moquett said. “There’s a lot opportunities in the Midwest for a sprinter. So it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if he could do both, and be better as a sprinter.” Whitmore is scheduled to break from post 3 today under Ortiz.
FINAL FURLONG
Suddenbreakingnews worked 6 furlongs in 1:13.20 after the renovation break Saturday morning for his yet-tobe-announced 4-year-old debut. Suddenbreakingnews won the $500,000 Southwest Stakes and was fifth in the Kentucky Derby. … According to Equibase, Alex Birzer’s victory in Friday’s fourth race was his 2,984th of his career. He’s trying to become the 173rd jockey to win 3,000 North American races. … Trainer Steve Hobby had the first horse at Oaklawn when Red Clay Magic worked a half mile in :49.40 on Dec. 5 and he had the first winner of the season when Precisely Ponti won the first race Friday. … Smack Smack earned $25,000 for his runner-up finish in Friday’s Fifth Season Stakes, increasing his career total to $955,430 as he tries to become trainer Don Von Hemel’s first millionaire.
— Information for this report contributed by the Oaklawn Media Relations Department