Kilroe Mile (Grade 1)- $400.000 Purse
SA- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
March 6, 2021
There’s excitement out west for turf stars on Saturday, as the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile brings together a nice assortment of horses that ran in either the BC Mile or BC Turf contending with others who are certainly capable of knocking them off. For the last two years, Lunar Blaze has scored the win in the Kilroe Mile, winning at seven years old last year. It would be the last win of the gelding’s career, who raced for the final time in January. While he can’t threepeat, his trainer, John Henry, could do so as he has two quality entries in this race. As noted, the competition will be fierce, and let’s meet those that will be filling up the starting gate on Saturday!
#1- Ohtani (Sccj Stables, ridden by Ru Gonzalez)- We start it off with a gelding by Asset Class that is looking to win for the fourth time. He began to make a name for himself during the Spring by winning the Grade 2 Dixie, and following it up by picking up a fourth place check in the Grade 1 BEL Derby. Occasionally, we’ll see a discouraging line in his race history, but you have to like his win in the Hill Prince, which was followed up by running second in the BC Mile. He had one of those duds in his last race, but he is not one to have two bad races in a row. Expect a bounce back.
#2- Going Gone (John Henry, ridden by V Espinoza)- The trainer won with a seven year old last year, and he would love to do so again this year with Going Gone. It will be the 40th start for the gelding that has run in the BC in each of the last three years. He might not have earned a check in any of them, but that is an impressive mark of consistency to be able to have a chance. So far this year, he has raced once, and was fourth in the San Marcos, a race won by Technic, but at a longer distance.
#3- Show Shocker (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by A Beschizza)- Rose through the ranks last year, with a third place finish in the Grade 2 Shaker, and then finishing second in each of the American Turf and the Dixie. A big win seemed inevitable for him, and he would pick that up in July at the Grade 3 Kent Stakes. That was away from some of the stronger horses of the division at the time, and his next start, running second in the Secretariat, showed he can take on anyone. Ultimately, he was a part of the BC Mile, running third in the race, within a length of the winner. This will be his 2021 debut.
#4- Commander Wellesley (Jive Inc., ridden by G Saez)- This horse has been winning a lot lately, doing so in four of his last five races. Leading up to his last win, they were all in overnights, and then he showed he could do it in a smaller ungraded stake. Now, he gets a chance at this level, but he is not new to it. Off of his maiden win, he ran in the Bourbon in October 2019. The hope has always been there, so now, has the time arrived?
#5- Winchester (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- Has always shown the ability, but that finally has begun to translate into consistent results for Winchester, with two wins and a second place finish in his last three starts. His last win came last month at the Grade 3 TAM Stakes. It will be interesting to see him go against some of the best in the division right here, because when he has tried it twice, he has had to do it on soft turf. By the way, that is not something to completely rule out for this race too. As of Tuesday, there is a 50% chance of showers at SA for Saturday. It would be a shame for Winchester if it did rain.
#6- Dead Madness (John Henry, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Another great horse that John Henry is bringing to the track on Saturday. Soft turf did not keep him from winning the Arlington Million last August, which was the bigger of his two wins in 2020. When not winning, he also ran second in the Forester Turf Classic and third in the Manhattan, all of which are Grade 1’s. Didn’t step in the BC Turf, but did win the HOL Turf Cup a few weeks later.
#7- Technic (Fractious, ridden by J J Castellano)- Picked up in private sales from Maxmillion Farm for $500.000 last September, and has made three starts since then. There has been one win, which was a sharp looking effort in his last start, the Grade 2 San Marcos. As good as that win was, you don’t spend that kind of money on a gelding without expecting to see much more, and this is the perfect time right now for Technic to build on that result. He’s been good when running on the lead, so at a shorter distance, and dare I say it, the race engine, it could set up for him.
#8- Immoral (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- The only horse that Mb Stables will be sending to the gate, but Immoral is plenty capable of representing the trainer all by himself. He had an excellent 2020, with four wins in his nine starts, and being in the money in eight of those races. Made quite an impression after moving to the grass, winning the BEL Derby, second in the Arlington Million, then winning the KY Turf Cup. All of those were on yielding or worse surfaces, so if that 50% chance of rain does pan out, Mb won’t complain. Won the Hirsch, then third in the BC Turf. There is simply nothing wrong with this horse right now. Great consistency!
#9- Rules Are Madness (Angelos Stable, ridden by M Franco)- Seems like every race I get lately that is for open company, we have at least one filly in it. Rules Are Madness is the one for this race, but she has tried it a few times before. She has been best when running against her one gender, and last took on the boys in the 2020 Pegasus World Cup Turf. If this were a lesser field, I could get more excited about her here, but many of the best boys have shown up to this race.
#10- Feathers Not Dots (Night Rider Stables, ridden by J Bisono)- This is a new addition to Night Rider Stables, having been picked up by the trainer just a week ago for $100.000 in private sales. The gelding has won his last three races, including the CC Emerald. Has run at the top before in his career, and the trainer we’ll see what he has here. I would not be surprised to see him end up running in NY-bred stakes over the long term, as the trainer does have a preference to them.
#11- Anoush Command (Fractious, ridden by R Bejarano)- At this time a year ago, we were talking about Anoush Command as one of the top KYD threats. Now, with a new crop of three year olds commanding that attention, this colt has quietly moved to the grass. That move came after he placed eighth in the BC Dirt Mile, where he was next seen in the HOL Derby, a Grade 1 that he won the grass by two lengths. After that, he did try the Pegasus World Cup Turf, but that did not go well. Perhaps we can say that he has become an inconsistent horse, though no matter what, he is one to keep an eye on here.
#12- Concerto Of Eggs (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by G Melancon)- Perhaps this is one of the better examples you can see of persistence paying off. It had to seem like forever to the trainer for this one to break his maiden, but he never dropped him down in order to do so, and eventually decided enough of that. As a maiden, he would be entered in an optional claimer in career start #18, and of course, he won. TwinTowersRacing tested his luck a little too much after that race, but Concerto Of Eggs has settled in to become a productive horse, and he comes off an ungraded stake win in late January.
Prediction: 7-8-3-5
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
