Hong Kong Harry to launch season in Kilroe Mile

Hong Kong Harry, unraced since winning the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar on Nov. 26, is on schedule for his first start of the year in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita on March 4.

Hong Kong Harry has had three works since mid-January and is scheduled to have his next workout at Santa Anita on Sunday, trainer Phil D’Amato said.

“We’ll steadily pick it up,” D’Amato said. “The master plan is to run in Grade 1’s and have a horse left for the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll run him five times through the year.”

Owned by Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa, and Tony Valazza, Hong Kong Harry will have his Grade 1 debut in the $500,000 Kilroe Mile.

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Hong Kong Harry won two stakes at a mile on turf last year – the Grade 3 American Stakes at Santa Anita in June, and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile in September. The Seabiscuit was run at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Comanche Country, the winner of two stakes in Southern California last year and trained by D’Amato, is working toward her 3-year-old debut in the $100,000 China Doll Stakes for fillies at a mile on March 18.

Unraced since a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 4, Comanche Country worked a half-mile on the infield dirt training track in 49.80 seconds at Santa Anita on Friday.

Owned by the Little Red Feather Racing syndicate, Sterling Stable and Marsha Naify, Comanche Country has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $241,287, all in Ireland and the United States.

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