Square Eddie eyes Santa Anita's Kilroe Mile

Absent an invitation to the lucrative races in Dubai later this month, Square Eddie will start in Saturday’s $300,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf , trainer Doug O’Neill said on Tuesday.

Owner Paul Reddam and O’Neill hoped to send Square Eddie to Dubai but have yet to receive any word from Dubai officials, O’Neill said.

“We’re going to take down the Kilroe Mile,” O’Neill said.

Joel Rosario, who leads all riders in stakes wins at the meeting with 12, has the mount, O’Neill said. Rosario was aboard Square Eddie when the 5-year-old returned from a layoff of more than a year to win an allowance race over 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:13.11 on Jan. 14. Square Eddie followed that with a last-place finish in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5.

Square Eddie has raced primarily on dirt and synthetic tracks in this country. A winner of 3 of 14 starts, he won his maiden on turf at 2 at Salisbury, England, in 2008, the year he won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

The Grade 1 Kilroe Mile will be Square Eddie’s first start on turf since a 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint here in November 2009. O’Neill did not rule out hope for a quick turnaround for a Dubai race if Square Eddie runs well on Saturday.

“We’ll keep our options open,” he said.

The Kilroe will have a strong field led by Caracortado, Fluke, and Jeranimo, stakes winners at Santa Anita this winter. The other probable starters are Acclamation, Gallant Son, Lieve, Sebastian Flyte, and Times Gone By.

Dedomenico named to TOC board

Prominent owner Mark Dedomenico has been appointed to the board of directors of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the organization announced late Monday.

Dedomenico fills a vacancy created earlier this year when chairman Arnold Zetcher resigned. Jack Owens was subsequently named chairman of the organization, which represents horsemen in the state.

Dedomenico, who lives in Las Vegas, is a co-owner of Blind Luck, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2010.