Whisper Not wins San Francisco Mile Stakes

After winning a July 2020 stakes race in England, Whisper Not was sent to California for races at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and Santa Anita Park. He was entrusted to trainer Richard Baltas, who stabled the colt at the San Luis Rey Training Center in 2020 when he was not at a track.

Whisper Not made his Northern California debut April 24 at Golden Gate Fields and won the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile Stakes. "It was a very good race for him," Baltas said. "He relaxed nicely."

The San Francisco Mile Stakes was a one-mile turf race for horses three years old and upward. Baltas warned jockey Geovanni Franco not to let Whisper Not try to keep up early in the race. "I told him to kind of just sit off the speed," Baltas said.

Diamond Blitz broke first among the eight horses and also led for the first three-quarters of a mile. Whisper Not broke fifth, and after the first quarter-mile he was third and trailed Diamond Blitz by five lengths and second-place Keeper Ofthe Stars by one length while leading fourth-place Kiwi's Dream by a head.

Kiwi's Dream passed Whisper Not for third and after half a mile Kiwi's Dream had a half-length lead over Whisper Not, who was four lengths in front of fifth-place Brown Storm. Diamond Blitz was eight lengths in front of Keeper Ofthe Stars and nine lengths ahead of Whisper Not.

After three-quarters of a mile Diamond Blitz led Keeper Ofthe Stars by three lengths and Kiwi's Dream by 3 1/2 lengths. Whisper Not was a length in back of Kiwi's Dream and two lengths in front of Ohio, who had taken over fifth place.

The 4 1/2-length margin after three-quarters of a mile was close enough for Whisper Not to have the lead as he entered the stretch 1:23.57 after the starter's gate was opened. Diamond Blitz had fallen to fifth by the beginning of the stretch while Kiwi's Dream was in eighth and last place. Whisper Not had a head lead over Keeper Ofthe Stars at the beginning of the stretch.

"The trip was wide," Baltas said. "I kind of wanted him to save ground, but it didn't work out that way."

The head lead over Keeper Ofthe Stars was also the margin of victory. Keeper Ofthe Stars finished two lengths in front of third-place Restrainedvengence. Whisper Not had a winning time of 1:36.94.

"I'm very happy with it," Baltas said.

The win was the fourth for Whisper Not in 10 career starts and his second victory in America. He finished first in his previous race March 6 at Santa Anita.

Whisper Not was foaled in England on March 13, 2017, with Poet's Voice as his sire and Poyle Meg as his dam. He ran five races in England before starting his career in America.