Kilroe Mile (Grade 1)- $400.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
March 9, 2019

Racing at SA will still be happening within our virtual world, and Saturday will be an exciting day with several big races on the card. One of them is the Kilroe Mile, a Grade 1 event that will bring together top turf horses that would love to be thinking about the BC Mile. But that is a long way down the road right now, and today will be about getting a share of that $400.000 purse. The race has been won by some greats in the past, which include Alpha Ultimo and Shoot Skyhigh. Also, it was won in back to back years (2007 and 2008) by Australia Wide’s Jagged Account. For the 2019 edition of the race will have ten going to the post, and that includes Controlled Power, last year’s winner who will be looking to duplicate Jagged Account’s accomplishment. Let’s take a look at him and his rivals for this race.

#1- The Grandmaster (John Henry, ridden by J Talamo)- Makes his second start for the trainer since purchasing him from Team 7 Illusions, six weeks after placing fifth in the BC Turf Sprint. In his John Henry debut, he won right here, and at the same distance, in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile, and that was while starting on the rail, too. The jockey is the same, too, so ideally, The Grandmaster does just what he did in the Mathis. It does not always seem to work out that way, but if it happens, he could finish this race in the same place, too.

#2- Sports Car (Mb Stables, ridden by F Pennington)- He’s had to use the rain tires in the last two races, but that will not be the case here. Shouldn’t be anyway, as we should have firm turf for the race. Those two runs saw mixed results, with one being a win in the Grade 2 HOL Turf Cup. He’s cutting back on his distance here, and has not run at a mile since last August. Historically, he looks to come from behind, but I would not be certain that such tactic will be employed here, given the distance cut and the trainer’s mastery of instructions.

#3- Oh Awesome One (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by R Bejarano)- Five days after finishing sixth in the BC Sprint, Oh Awesome One was sold by John Henry to TwinTowersRacing for just $10.000. His five finishes prior to the BC failed to hit the board as well, so you have the feeling the former trainer got sour on him. Oh Awesome One is now on the grass, and running long, and still looks for that one great result while doing this, but does have a third in the Grade 2 San Gabriel right here. It’ll be his 39th career start.

#4- Nowhere Man (Mb Stables, ridden by L H Colon)- The trainer will have the two best turf jockeys in the virtual world on his two horses, so things look good for him on paper. The great L H Colon rode Nowhere Man in the BC Mile, and while he got closer towards the end, he never really factored into it. His best recent result dates back to September, when he won the WO Mile. This will be a return to stake racing for him after running in an allowance and an optional claimer.

#5- Diamond Back (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- The Niagra gelding went on a four race winning streak immediately after being gelded, ending with the Grade 3 AP Classic in May. Unfortunately for the trainer, those are the only wins he has. He had done a lot of sprinting after winning the AP Classic, and was off the board more often then not. Raced in an optional claimer in his last start, last month and ran third. I think he will like this distance, but he meets some pretty tough company here.

#6- Lunar Blaze (John Henry, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Another one of those horses that always seems to end up in a race I write up. Well, I can’t talk about him struggling to win anymore, so now maybe I can talk about making up for lost time and putting together a winning streak. He’s won his last two, and I really did like the way that he won the Pegasus World Cup Turf. Those wins were on off tracks, so I guess I can say he has to break his dry track slump. If he’s found his mojo, he can be the best in the field. Now the question is, do I want to start picking him to win, again?

#7- Controlled Power (Spankys Barn, ridden by D Van Dyke)- Last year in this race, Controlled Power pulled off a thrilling victory over Clockwork Chai, seen then as a big favorite. He’d win his next race, too, taking the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile, then was second in the Grade 1 Man O War at BEL. Those races are the highlight of his career at this point, as he has yet to win since the Makers Mark. He was able to run in the BC Mile, but would only beat one opponent that day. Ran decently in the Thunder Road here last month, a Grade 3 with similar conditions. He’s a horse for this course, with three wins in five starts, and another closer second.

#8- Maniaco del Controll (Threshold, ridden by T C Baze)- The four year old gelding has won four of 17 career races, but none of them have been in any of the graded stakes that he has attempted. He does have an ungraded win, coming in the $75.000 Woodchopper at the end of the year last year, a race in which he dominated on soft going. His last start was the Thunder Road, a race in which he was well behind his Controlled companion, and Controlled Power was only fourth, himself. Time to show that he can step up to this level.

#9- Happy Model (Estero Farms, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- This one has made his trainer pretty happy, as only once in his eleven career starts has he not hit the board. His last six starts have seen three wins and three places, and go back three more, and there are three thirds. So, he’s a pretty symmetrical one, isn’t he? All of that, though, expect for his last start, was in overnights. In his last outing, though, he won the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Handicap. This will be the toughest competition he has faced, but he has definitely earned this chance, and I like how he always steps up. No reason to think he wouldn’t here.

#10- One Command (Chili King Stables, ridden by J R Leparoux)- From the outside, we see another taking a jump forward. One Command has just two wins in 16 starts, however, he’s he has 11 combined places and shows on the record, too. So, he knows how to be near the front. Other then his maiden, his other win was a four horse CA-bred race. Was second in a $50.000 ungraded stake last month. Has good speed figures, so don’t count him out.

Prediction: 6-1-2-7

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES