Count Again gets up in final strides for Frank Kilroe Mile victory

ARCADIA, Calif. - Count Again and jockey Flavien Prat have developed a flair for dramatic finishes this year.

In the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Feb. 5, Count Again closed from fourth in the final furlong to win by a half-length.

The Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on Saturday was even more exciting. Fifth with a furlong remaining, Count Again rallied in the middle of the track to take the lead in the final two strides of Santa Anita’s leading turf mile race.

Count Again ($6.60) caught an unlucky Space Traveller, who led briefly in the final sixteenth.

The two had remarkably similar trips in a field of 11, racing on the inside at the back of the field on the backstretch. Space Traveller was in front of Count Again, and closed well on the turn while avoiding traffic to move into a contending position under jockey Jamie Spencer in early stretch.

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Flavien Prat was following Space Traveller on Count Again.

“It seems the pace was good and he was traveling well,” Prat said. “I was behind the horse that I thought would be the horse to beat. I was in a good spot.”

Very briefly, Count Again appeared to have too much to overcome until the 7-year-old gelding surged to win by a nose in 1:33.24 and get a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He likes to get back and it takes him a little bit to get going,” Prat said. “He has a good turn of foot.”

Spencer traveled from England specifically to ride Space Traveller, who was a troubled third in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 29 in his only previous start this year.

Space Traveller was 3-1 in the Kilroe Mile.

“I had a beautiful trip around,” Spencer said.

Subconscious, second to Count Again in the Thunder Road, finished third at 3-1, followed by Beyond Brilliant, Law Professor, Flavius, Delaware, Bob and Jackie, Whisper Not, Tell Your Daddy, and Team Merchants.

Count Again was Prat’s third stakes win of the day, preceded by the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes on Cezanne and the Grade 1 Beholder Mile on As Time Goes By. All three were favored.

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Count Again, an Ontario-bred, races for the partnership of Agave Racing and Sam-Son Farm and has won 6 of 15 starts and earned $763,665. Count Again joined trainer Phil D’Amato’s stable in fall 2020 and won his first start for the barn in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November 2020. Count Again was winless in five starts last year.

Prat began riding Count Again at the beginning of this year.