Frank E. Kilroe Mile

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Dual Grade 1 heroine VENTURA (Chester House) will tackle the boys in

Saturday's $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1), and the Bobby Frankel trainee

is the one to beat in our minds. The five-year-old dark bay rolled home in the

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint two back and made her yearly debut an

impressive win in the Santa Monica H. (G1). She's been first or second in nine

of her 11 turf tries, and finished a big second in the Woodbine Mile (Can-G1)

against males three back. Garrett Gomez will break from the rail atop the classy

dynamo.

GLOBAL HUNTER (Arg) (Jade Hunter) has always had ability and received the

perfect prep for this when second in the Thunder Road H. (G3), so we'll give the

six-year-old a big chance at a Grade 1 placing. The bay has always been

placed among the best horses out west by trainer A.C. Avila, and he's often run well

while not breaking through at the graded ranks. We like the draw, surface and

distance of this race, and we expect to hear his name late beneath Jose Valdivia

Jr.

ARTISTE ROYAL (Ire) (Danehill) is one of the top turf horses in training in

the United States for Neil Drysdale, and his closing rush to win the San Marcos S. (G2)

last out was a thing of beauty. While we have the highest regard for the

eight-year-old, we can't see him beating our top pick at a mile -- he wants

longer. We still believe that the classy sort will be in the top three under

Rafael Bejarano, though.

GIO PONTI (Tale of the Cat) is a brilliant turf performer when right for

Christophe Clement, and we hope to see the colt return to his sophomore form in

this field. While the four-year-old has yet to run anything close to poor, the

lofty expectations we set on him have yet to be realized, so we're still waiting for

him to transform into a beast. Ramon Dominguez will guide the exotics threat.

WISE RIVER (Belong to Me) is in really good form for Clark Hanna and has been

first or second in five of six tries at this distance. The dark bay has never

been better, but shipping across the country to face some of these legitimate

Grade 1 performers seems ambitious in the very least. We'll use the

Kentucky-bred in some exotics in the hope that he rewards his connections'

aggressiveness.

DIXIE CHATTER (Dixie Union) has been quite consistent in his trio of turf

starts for Richard Mandella, but the bay colt will need to step up his game in

order to challenge these foes. MR NAPPER TANDY (GB) (Bahamian Bounty) is

essentially a one-run closer who's endured trouble getting through his allowance

level. We'll pass.

Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) hero MAST TRACK (Mizzen Mast) was last seen running fifth in

the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile for Frankel. The five-year-old bay

really turned the corner last summer and has posted four straight 100+ BRIS

Speed figures against the highest class of competition. With that said, we don't

see this Kentucky-bred as a turf miler and we'll reluctantly toss him in here.

BECRUX (Ity) (Glen Jordan) has seen better days and doesn't looks to be in

the form to make a huge splash in this field. The hard-trying gelding was a good

third in the Citation H. (G1) three back, earning a 117 BRIS Late Pace number,

and a repeat of that would make him a threat here, but his inconsistent pattern

makes us shy away.

VICTORY PETE (Five Star Day) has run some good races this campaign and has

excellent early foot, but his best chances at a top-three finish occur if he's

clear on the lead on a tepid pace, which we don't envision. HEWITTS (Concerto)

has plenty of speed and is a solid turf sprinter, but he's not at the Grade 1

level at a mile.

MONTEREY JAZZ (Thunderello) has apparently lost his magic for Craig Dollase

and the dark bay looks like a shell of his old self. While still fast, the

five-year-old has had no punch in four of his last five starts. The Kentucky-bred finished

two from last in this race while in peak form last year, and we don't expect much better in

this one.