Holy Lute earns shot at Kilroe Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Holy Lute will have his first start in a Grade 1 race in more than a year in the $400,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita on March 7, a decision reached after the 5-year-old won an optional claimer Thursday.

Holy Lute, trained by Jim Cassidy for Class Racing Stable, won for the first time since August 2013 in the second-level optional $62,500 claimer on the hillside turf course, leading throughout as the 4-5 favorite. He was challenged in early stretch by U S Citizen but drew away under jockey Mike Smith.

Thursday’s performance was the second consecutive race in which Holy Lute finished first. He was disqualified and placed second for causing interference in a similar race Jan. 17, when he bumped runner-up U S Citizen in deep stretch. The margin between the two that day was only a head.

Cassidy said a race such as the Grade 1 Kilroe would have been difficult for Holy Lute last year, when the horse dealt with breathing issues. Holy Lute underwent an operation at the end of last summer to improve his breathing after racing in sprints in the spring and summer.

“We decided to sprint him because of his breathing,” Cassidy said. “They did a brilliant job on the surgery.”

The two starts in optional claimers are Holy Lute’s only races since the operation. At 3 in 2013, Holy Lute won the El Cajon Stakes at Del Mar and was 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile here.