Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix S.

Whitmore, who recently saw a five-race victory streak halted with a pair of thirds, returned to the winner’s circle Oct. 6 with a narrow score in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes.

The 4-year-old Pleasantly Perfect gelding punched his ticket to the Nov. 4 TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar via the six-furlong Phoenix, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” event.

“I’m going to relish this Phoenix victory, but the Breeders’ Cup has been our goal, so if everything’s great, we’re going,” trainer Ron Moquett said.

Whitmore, who races for Robert LaPenta, Moquett’s Southern Springs Stables, and Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Partners, was seventh early and ran down Jacks or Better Farm’s 16-1 shot Awesome Banner, who broke alertly from the inside post in a field of 11 and set quarter-mile fractions of :22.27 and :45.75 before digging deep through five-eighths in :57.73.

Fanned into the five-path entering the lane, Whitmore put in a hard-charging run under jockey Manny Franco and prevailed in a blanket finish between Awesome Banner and 5-2 choice Limousine Liberal. The final time was 1:09.90 on a fast track.

“When I made my move, he was game,” Franco said. “He never gave up, and we did it.”

Whitmore, bred in Kentucky by John Liviakis out of the Scat Daddy mare Melody’s Spirit, came off a third in the Sept. 16 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park, and was third one race prior in the June 9 True North Stakes at Belmont Park. His string of five wins prior included the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. The Phoenix was his first Grade 2 score.—Claire Novak-Crosby