War of Will begins new chapter in Shoemaker Mile

The endlessly fascinating career of War of Will, which already includes a Preakness win following getting mugged in the Kentucky Derby after developing a hitch in his giddy-up exiting the Louisiana Derby, offers another compelling chapter Monday, when he tries for his first Grade 1 grass win against an outstanding field in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

War of Will is the marquee name in the race, but he will be making his first start since November while facing some battle-hardened grass milers, including locals like River Boyne and Next Shares and fellow shippers like Raging Bull and Without Parole. The Shoemaker Mile is a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.

War of Will began his career on turf, making his first four starts on that surface before given a chance to show if he was Derby caliber. He proved to be one of the best 3-year-olds in the country last year, but as a result raced straight through the fall with nary a break. He’s fresh for the first time since his debut, and his works – including a five-furlong drill in 57.60 seconds on the Palm Meadows turf on April 12 – indicate he’s ready to roll.

“He’s trained super,” his trainer, Mark Casse, said Friday morning. “We finally had to start slowing him down after that grass work. He went 57 and change and galloped out phenomenally. He just kept going, like the Energizer Bunny.”

War of Will, a colt by War Front, owns a Grade 1 victory on dirt, courtesy of the Preakness. Casse said trying to win a Grade 1 on turf was the primary reason the Shoemaker was targeted.

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“That’s a big part,” he said. “He has a tremendous pedigree. He’s a stunning horse to look at. It would be nice if he could be a Grade 1 winner on turf.”

War of Will added blinkers for the first time for last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, but he will race without them – as he did for his first 13 races – on Monday.

Casse also shipped in March to the Arch, a close third in both the Appleton at Gulfstream and the Tampa Bay Stakes in his last two starts.

“Very unlucky his last two,” Casse said. “One of the reasons we took him out there is he really likes firm ground.”

So does River Boyne, who ran his Santa Anita turf record to 8 for 13 with a victory in the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile on March 7. Shoemaker entrants Next Shares and True Valour were third and fourth, respectively, in the Kilroe.

Raging Bull and Without Parole shipped in for trainer Chad Brown for their first start in months. Raging Bull was winless last year, but split Got Stormy and Uni when second in the Fourstardave and was a close fourth in the Woodbine Mile. Without Parole was third in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile when first-time Lasix, a medication he was prohibited from using when he found 1 3/16 miles beyond his range in the Pegasus World Cup Turf.

Blitzkreig, Majestic Eagle, Neptune’s Storm, and pacesetting Voodoo Song complete the field.