Streaking Easter likely favorite for Saturday's Frank Kilroe Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. - Early last fall, Easter was an allowance-class runner with more losses than wins since his arrival from France in winter 2021-2022.

The equation has changed dramatically in the last four months.

Easter is unbeaten in three consecutive turf stakes since late October, a winning streak that leaves the 6-year-old gelding as the favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in his 2024 debut.

Considering his recent form, and a five-furlong workout in 1:00 on Sunday, Easter has an excellent chance to win the $300,000 Kilroe in his first start since the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Dec. 26.

Easter worked in company for a brief period. He rallied to reach the front of the small group in the stretch, trainer Phil D’Amato said.

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“He breezed very well,” D’Amato said later in the morning in his stable office.

“He was well ahead of them all. He was in the clear when he got to the eighth pole. It was a good drill.”

The Kilroe Mile is one of two Grade 1 races on Saturday, along with the $400,000 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. The program includes the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, a key prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6, and the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile on turf for fillies and mares.

The Kilroe Mile field is expected to include Du Jour, the winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile last September who has not raced since a 10th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4 for trainer Bob Baffert; and Goliad, who won the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf on Feb. 4 for trainer Richard Mandella.

Baffert, D’Amato and Mandella have contenders in the Big Cap. D’Amato starts expected favorite Newgrange, who won the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 27 by a length over the Baffert-trained Newgate. Mandella starts Salesman, who has not raced since a win in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at 1 5/8 miles at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

Newgrange worked five furlongs in 59 seconds on Sunday, the fastest of 121 recorded works at the distance.

Mixto, third in the San Pasqual, and O’Connor, a seven-time group stakes winner in Chile and two graded stakes winner in the United States in the last three years, are other scheduled starters.

Mixto worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Sunday.

O’Connor, trained in Florida by Saffie Joseph Jr., was fifth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.

Subsanador, a Group 1 winner in Argentina last June who was fourth as the 6-5 favorite behind Newgrange in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes on Dec. 26, worked seven furlongs in 1:25.80. Trainer John Sadler said Subsanador was “80-20” to start in the Big Cap.

D’Amato debated on Sunday how many runners to start in the Kilroe Mile, a race he has won the last two years and three times in the last five. D’Amato has nominated Ottoman Prince, an import from Britain who has not raced since a win in a handicap at Epsom Downs in October, and Prince Abama, who has not raced since a win in the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf in February 2023.

Ottoman Prince worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Sunday, while Prince Abama ran a half-mile in 48 seconds.

The Kilroe would be the stakes debut for Ottoman Prince, a 4-year-old gelding who has won 3 of 6 starts. Other opportunities for Ottoman Prince are an allowance race or the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on March 9.

“Do I wait for the two-other-than, run downhill in the stakes, or take a mega-swing and run him at a mile,” D’Amato said.

D’Amato had time to decide. Entries for Saturday’s card will be taken on Wednesday.

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