Mandella pleased with Royal Ship coming into Kilroe Mile

When he’s in the right mind, the gelding Royal Ship can deliver a top-class performance good enough to beat some of the nation’s leading runners.

Last July, for example, the Brazilian-bred Royal Ship won his third stakes in the United States in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on dirt at Del Mar, beating Country Grammer in his first start since a win in the Dubai World Cup last March.

Royal Ship was later a well-beaten third to Flightline in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar and sixth of eight in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita in October before he was rested for the remainder of the season.

Royal Ship starts in Saturday’s Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita, a tough race for a comeback but one that trainer Richard Mandella thinks the now 7-year-old can handle.

“He’s pretty ready,” Mandella said. “He’s training with a lot of enthusiasm.”

From Mandella’s perspective, that is a good sign. He has watched Royal Ship’s form tail off at times, such as in the Awesome Again.

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“He gets a little sour sometimes after a few of his races,” Mandella said.

Mandella describes Royal Ship’s lapses in form as “maybe a little more mental” than physical.

Royal Ship will be ridden by Mike Smith, who has been aboard the gelding for all 13 of his American starts. A winner of 8 of 20 starts, Royal Ship was a three-time stakes winner in Brazil in late 2019 and early 2020.

Royal Ship will need to be in peak form in the $500,000 Kilroe Mile, the top wintertime race for the division in California. The field of nine includes Hong Kong Harry, a three-time graded stakes winner last year; Du Jour and Air Force Red; who were second and third in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on Feb. 4; and Balnikhov, a two-time winner in stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile last year.

The Kilroe Mile is the 11th race on a stellar 12-race program that includes three other stakes, notably the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on dirt and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. Racing begins at noon Pacific.

The program includes a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Rainbow pick six, which covers the seventh through 12th races. The $500,000 Big Cap is the day’s final race.

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