back-to-back Mile (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
March 4, 2023
For this first weekend in March, we have plenty of great races to be excited about, and they all aren’t necessarily paying KYD or KYO points. At SA, we will have nineteenth running of the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile, sending a field of eleven that distance along the turf course for a $500.000 purse. Many greats of the game have won this race, including none other than Alpha Ultimo in 2006. After him, Jagged Account would win back-to-back races in 2007 and 2008. That feat would be duplicated by Lunar Blaze in 2019 and 2020, and in between we would see the likes of Shoot Skyhigh, Charming Behrens, and Seven Years pick up the win here, and in 2021, it was Anoush Command that went to the winner’s circle. As you can see, there has been no shortage of greats of the game that have the trophy of the Kilroe Mile as part of their collection. This year, we will have Ptyrannical looking to be the third horse to win this race in consecutive years and Arindel’s gelding should certainly be considered one of the favorites and we’ll get to him in a little bit. Ten others look to bring him down in what is a loaded field, don’t miss this race! Here is a look at those going to post!
#1- Cascade King (Nakamura Stables, ridden by P Husbands)- Did not impress in his last start, the Connally BC Turf, where he started at the back and never got involved. It was on a yielding turf course and if you look back at his history, Cascade King simply does not like any form of precipitation. He was a lot better right here in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile at the end of September, and he may get overlooked on the odds board since two of his last three starts are duds on off tracks. He’s not going to be one of my picks, but I would check out his odds-on race day and consider giving him some play if they climb enough.
#2- Penal Hockey Party (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by J R Davila Jr)- Speaking of the Mathis Brothers Mile, the horse that beat Cascade King by a nose was Penal Hockey Party. In that race, Maxmillion’s gelding was coming out of the BC Mile where he finished in the middle of the field. He’s had one start since, an open allowance and while he still earned a 97 SRF and only missed by a length, he still just finished fourth. It was a solid field, but not really the type of high-level open allowance that you’d say was an unofficial stake. Penal Hockey Party can absolutely win this race, but I find some others in here a little more appealing.
#3- Lets Do It Big Boy (RNP Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- I’m not sure what is the most impressive thing about this horse anymore. Is it his past accolades? Or is it his longevity in continuing to perform well at the highest of levels. The now nine-year-old gelding makes his 67th career start here, and while he did not get a piece of the purse in his last start, he was only a length off the win in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf. That came two months after he was second in the BC Mile. This is the first time that he has added the Kilroe Mile to his schedule and his first time at SA since 2019. No reason to think that he can’t make it a triumphant occasion.
#4- Ptyrannical (Arindel, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Last year, Ptyrannical came here off of a lackluster effort in the Pegasus World Cup Turf and took home the victory! It would set off a great year for him that included consistent finishes in the top three and triple digit SRF’s. That would carry him into the BC Mile, where he finished third in a very tight photo at the wire. 2023 would start with the same race as 2022, but a much better finish, this time a victory with an attractive 104 SRF. In a race where back-to-back winners have been a little more common than most, you have to label him having a great shot.
#5- Boardwalk Empire (Smokey Stover, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This Con Artist colt ran very well as a three-year-old in 2022, earning over $1,000.000 for the year. There were four victories in the mix there, but none bigger than the Grade 1 SAR Derby at the Spa in August. In the fall, he would run in the BC Turf, but did not have the kind of race the trainer was hoping for, fizzling at the end after a strong start. He’s cut back on his distance since then and has back-to-back 101 SRF’s coming into this one.
#6- Silver Rocket (Crocker Ggs, ridden by R M Hernandez)- After struggling in the SUN Derby, Silver Rocket was moved to the turf and had some success though did not perform well in Grade 1’s after the Shoemaker Mile. A tough stretch towards the end of last year saw him dropped into an optional claimer at WO that he won, at six furlongs. He followed that up nicely by winning the Grade 2 Hernandez Stakes, another sprint, on New Years Eve right here. It’ll be back to running a mile here but against this company, I’m going to have to pass.
#7- Mickey (South Shore Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Coming off of a monster three-year-old season where he won over $4,000.000 on the year. A big part of that came when he etched his name into the history books as a BC Turf champion. That was just one of the great races he had, and he’d even run two more times after the BC. He won the HOL Derby a month after that, as well. In 2023, he’s raced once, being a part of the Pegasus World Cup Turf where he was second to Ptyrannical. He’ll get a chance at that one again right here. Don’t be concerned about some of his bigger successes being at longer distances, he’s accomplished more than enough at a mile as well.
#8- Buffalo G (Nakamura Stables, ridden by F T Alvarado)- When Nakamura watched Cascade King struggle in the Connally BC Turf last month, his day was not spoiled at all, because it would be his own Buffalo G getting the win there instead. They will run against one another again, but this time I feel a little better about his stablemate as the turf course will be firm (unless a sudden unexpected change happens in the forecast). He’s been a little inconsistent of late, with a sluggish outing in the Grade 2 Smith following a more forgivable poor performance in the BC Mile. I’d feel better about him in a lesser field, but this is too deep of a race for me to pick him. Has a shot though, if his good side shows up.
#9- Pxg (Mb Stables, ridden by Ru Silvera)- Last February, Pxg won a $75.000 TX-bred stake that would set off a streak that would have five wins in six starts. That would culminate in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile, an effort that clinched his spot in the BC Mile. While that would not be a race that he will look back on fondly, it is something that we can forgive. Pxg did bounce back well last month in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, where he was right there with Ptyrannical and Mickey by finishing third. He’s yet another reason this is such a strong field and should be a expected to make an impact on Saturday.
#10- Free Blast (Fractious, ridden by J Lezcano)- Picked up last May in a claimer for $47.500, then won a starter allowance, a result that would send him into the graded level. He had made one such start with prior trainer London Racing, but he was ready to return and finished third in the Grade 3 Connaught Cup Stakes. Afterwards, he was consistent finishing in the top four in stakes but did not win any of them. Opened the year with an optional claiming win but struggled in the TAM Stakes. This is strongest test of his career right here given what he is up against.
#11- King Que Niagra (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- We finish our look at this field with another great horse within this division. King Que Niagra has made just over $2,000.000 for his career thanks in large part to an impressive stretch last year with four Grade 1 wins in five starts. The Man O War, United Nations, Sword Dancer, and Hirsch Turf Classic all ended with him winning but yet we never saw him in the BC due to being scratched from the BC Turf. Since the Hirsch, he’s been off the board in two starts, but let’s not count him out yet. This a great spot for him to remind everyone that he’s still one of the best.
Prediction: 7-9-4-11
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
