'Laura' looks ahead to Kilroe Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. - With the $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 5 as a firm goal, Laura's Lucky Boy makes his 4-year-old debut and first start for trainer Vladimir Cerin in Wednesday's $75,000 Thunder Road Handicap at Santa Anita.

Owned by Mercedes Stable, Laura's Lucky Boy was transferred from Jason Orman to Cerin after a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby last November. Last year, won 3 of 9 starts, including the Grade 3 Will Rogers Stakes over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park in May.

The Thunder Road Handicap over a mile on turf has six entrants including King's County, a promising English import, and Night Bobkel and Silver Traffic, recent French imports who have raced in this country.

was third in an allowance race on the hillside turf course on Jan. 17. Night Bobkel was a game second in his U.S. debut in December.

Trainer Jenine Sahadi has two starters - Joursanvault and Ender's Shadow. In 2004, Joursanvault was a stakes winner in France, while Ender's Shadow won two stakes on dirt.

Laura's Lucky Boy is likely to set the pace. He led in the stretch in the Del Mar Derby and lost by just a neck. In the Oak Tree Derby in October, Laura's Lucky Boy led in the stretch, but finished three-quarters of a length behind the winning Greek Sun.

Cerin is cautious about Laura's Lucky Boy's chances to win on Wednesday.

"I haven't trained as hard as I wanted to because of the weather," Cerin said. "He's pretty fit, but not as fit as he will be on March 5. I want him to run a good race. It would be great to win but it's not win at all costs."

Meanwhile, the fourth race is a $52,000 optional claimer over 6 1/2 furlongs, featuring Terrell and Bluesthestandard.

Terrell is making his first start since winning a first-condition allowance race by seven lengths here last March. He earned a 114 Beyer Speed Figure that day, but was subsequently sidelined by injury.

, second in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Sprint, is entered to be claimed for $62,500. Third in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Handicap here on Jan. 23, Bluesthestandard is making his first start for a claiming price since he was claimed by Jeffrey Sengara and trainer Ted H. West for $50,000 in December 2002.

He has since earned $530,333, but is winless in seven starts since winning the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Handicap in February 2004.