HOT SPRINGS -- The trainer of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort's feature winner could not have been happier, but that could change next week.
John Ortiz trained and Emmanuel Esquivel rode Whelen Springs, an Arkansas-bred colt owned by Hot Springs' John Ed Anthony, to a win in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-old horses in 1:09.68 over 6 furlongs on a fast track before an announced crowd of 21,000 at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Saturday.
Ortiz also trains Barber Road, who qualified for the Grade I Kentucky Derby through Oaklawn's four-race Derby qualifying series. The Derby is scheduled for next Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Ortiz seemed delighted with this Saturday's feature result.
"I feel very proud to be part of this team with Mr. John Ed Anthony," Ortiz said. "Not only because he's an Arky bred; I think he's a legend, period. Obviously, this is his home track. Being able to take any horse, born wherever, and do some of the things that we're doing right now, it's very special. This proves the point that it doesn't matter where you're from. When you're an athlete, you're an athlete."
Whelen Springs' previous start was a win in Oaklawn's 6-furlong Rainbow Stakes for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred horses on April 9.
On Saturday, Whelen Springs, off at 7-1, passed second-place Cogburn in the final jump to win by a neck. Cogburn, the 3-5 favorite ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, finished 93/4 lengths in front of third-place Cairama, the 2-1 second choice ridden by Issac Castillo and trained by Asmussen. Ain't Life Grand, ridden by Elvin Gonzalez and trained by Kelly Von Hemel, finished fourth, 12 lengths behind the winner.
The Bachelor was Ain't Life Grand's first start since a juvenile stakes win at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, last September.
"You know, my horse hadn't run since Iowa," Gonzalez said. "He needed this race, but he ran good."
Esquivel said he felt confident from the start, from which point he followed Cogburn's lead in second through every call.
"I broke really sharp and I was on top of him right away," Esquivel said. "I just wanted to be on top of him before he got away. It worked out good. I had the horse to do it."
Cogburn was first out of the gate and led through the opening quarter-mile in 22.52. Whelen Springs was a length back in second and a head in front of Mowins in third. Cairama was in fourth 21/2 lengths behind Cogburn.
"I told Manny, 'We're going to win this race when you make an early move,' " Ortiz said. "I said, 'Just make an early move. Just get a good break and keep him in good quarters. Don't sit and wait, because once you get this horse going, he won't stop.' He did a fantastic job, as you could see."
Cogburn previously had 6-furlong wins at Churchill in 1:09.79 last September and 1:09.44 at Oaklawn on March 25.
Cairama, a Triple Crown nominee, finished sixth of 13 in Oaklawn's Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 1 and 10th of 11 in the Grade II Rebel Stakes on Feb. 26, but in his last previous start, he won a 6-furlong optional-claimer by seven lengths at Oaklawn.
Castillo said Cairma failed to respond in the Bachelor.
"When I asked him to go, he just didn't go fast," Castillo said.
Cogburn led through the half in 45.58, a head in front of Cogburn. Cairama remained in third, 21/2 lengths back as the leaders began to separate from the rest.
As they straightened toward the wire, Cogburn and Whelen Springs ran virtually abreast, with Cogburn a nose in front on the rail, just as Esquivel said he had hoped. Ortiz said he thought such a strategy would give Whelen Springs his best chance.
Cogburn held a slight advantage until the final 10 yards of the 1,320-yard race when Whelen Springs pulled even and then lunged ahead at the wire.
"Until you hit the wire, you don't know for sure," Esquivel said as he walked through the paddock toward the jockey's dressing room. "Like I say, I felt confident on him, but you never know. It's just a head bob, and that can mean a lot."
"When you watched this stretch run, you realize why they call this horse racing," Ortiz said from the edge of the racetrack. "Those two horses battled it out. They both did a fantastic job."
For Ortiz and Barber Road, it is now on to the most meaningful feature race on earth.
"Barber Road's in high spirits, full of energy," he said. "He's exactly where I want him to be leading up to a race of this caliber. I think my horse can win, and I'm going to keep thinking that so maybe it can manifest itself, but we're happy with this, and right now we're just going to enjoy this Kentucky Derby ride."