Kilroe Mile gets purse reduction

ARCADIA, Calif. – The purse of the Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on March 7 has been reduced from $300,000 to $200,000 after the turf race was downgraded from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2 in late 2025 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Grade 1 races must have a minimum purse of $300,000, while Grade 2 races must be worth at least $200,000, according to the Graded Stakes Committee.

Santa Anita initially advertised the Kilroe with a purse of $300,000. The prize money level was recently reduced.

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The Kilroe has had a varied purse this century, ranging from as little as $200,000 in 2000 to as much as $500,000 in 2022 and 2023. The loss of Grade 1 status for the Kilroe leaves Santa Anita with one Grade 1 race annually for turf milers, the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on May 25.

The March 7 program includes the major stakes on dirt – the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles, the Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares, and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. The $300,000 San Felipe is a key prep race for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

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