OAKLAWN: CZ ROCKET GETS THE JUMP ON WHITMORE (AGAIN)

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Hot Springs, Ark. (Saturday, April 10, 2021) – The third round of the budding rivalry between the nation’s top sprinters ended the same as the second round as Madaket Stables, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele’s C Z Rocket shot past Whitmore to take Saturday’s $500,000 Count Fleet Spring Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn.

The 7-year-old gelding under jockey Florent Geroux built on his photo-finish decision in the Hot Springs Stakes last month over the fan-favorite and three-time defending champion in the six-furlong showdown on the Arkansas Derby undercard.

Whitmore and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. appeared poised to turn the tables after stalking the pace on the rail and finding a seam at the top of the stretch between horses, but C Z Rocket swept around the same wall of horses and carried the momentum to a two-length victory and pay $6.00, 2.60, and 2.20 as the second choice.

Whitmore ($2.60, 2.20) finished a clear second as the 11/10 favorite, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Empire of Gold, who paid $4.60 to show.

C Z Rocket, trained by Peter Miller, pushed his career earnings to $1,311,641 with his 11th victory from 22 starts. He finished second to Whitmore in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to cap the 2020 campaign, but has now taken the two match-ups in 2021.

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Stakes Quotes:

Winning jockey Florent Geroux, CZ Rocket – “Great trip. All the speed was what it looked like on the pp’s. Tried to find a nice rhythm with him and when he was ready to go, I just tipped him out and tried to run everyone down.

“I got him (Whitmore) again. Two nice horses. My horse was a little bit unlucky with the trip in the Breeders’ Cup. Whitmore had a great trip that day. They are very similar. Looks like my horse was a little bit better today.”

Winning trainer Peter Miller, CZ Rocket: “Very similar race (to the Hot Springs). We were behind Whitmore again and we had to give up a lot of ground, but we didn’t get stopped, either. You trade one for the other. Whitmore’s a great horse and ran a great race, as always. He’s a champion. I think that race (Hot Springs) tightened him (C Z Rocket) up good. I think that definitely set him up good for this.”

Trainer Ron Moquett, Second with Whitmore: “Proud of his effort. Ricardo (Santana) rode a great race. Just the other horse’s day today. Congratulations.”

Jockey David Cabrera, third with Empire of Gold: “At the quarter pole, I felt like I could win. I had Whitmore on the inside of me and I said, ‘I got this, you know.’ He made a kick for a little bit and then he got tired. He just got tired.”

Photo credit: Coady Photography