Great Hunter returns in Lewis; Charmo tops Kilroe Mile

Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner and Breeder's Cup Juvenile (G1) third-placer

GREAT HUNTER (Aptitude) will make his three-year-old debut in Saturday's

$200,000 Robert B. Lewis S. (G2), one of five stakes races on the Santa Anita H.

(G1) program. The $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1) is the other big event

on the undercard, and Grade 2 conqueror CHARMO (Fr) (Charnwood Forest [Ire]) is

the top draw in the 12-horse field.

Great Hunter will face eight rivals as the likely heavy favorite in the 1

1/16-mile Bob Lewis. Owned by J. Paul Reddam and trained by Doug O'Neill, the

dark bay colt recorded a 2-4-1 mark in seven juvenile appearances, placing in

three stakes races before breaking through with a 1 3/4-length victory in the 8

1/2-furlong Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. He defeated eventual champion

Street Sense (Street Cry [Ire]) and Grade 1 winner Circular Quay (Thunder Gulch)

that afternoon, and finished third behind those same rivals four weeks later in

the Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

"He's ready to roll," said O'Neill, who described the colt as "a beautiful

looking individual, a gorgeous-bodied horse."

BOUTROUS (Tiznow), who exits a troubled runner-up finish in the California

Derby, will be seeking his first stakes win, and SAM P. (Cat Thief) will invade

from Florida for trainer Todd Pletcher off a fourth-place effort in the Holy

Bull S. (G3). Recent maiden winners SAINT PAUL (Sweetsouthernsaint), TIAGO

(Pleasant Tap) and FRENCH TRANSITION (Giant's Causeway) are also part of the

mix.

The complete Bob Lewis field, from the rail with riders and weights, is Tiago,

Victor Espinoza, 115; SCAT THIEF (Cat Thief), Michael Baze, 115; HURRY UP AUSTIN

(Lake Austin), Jon Court, 115; French Transition, Julien Leparoux, 115; Saint

Paul, Alex Solis, 115; TAP IT LIGHT (General Meeting), David Cohen, 117; Sam P.,

Garrett Gomez, 117; Great Hunter, Corey Nakatani, 117; and Boutrous, David

Flores, 117.

In the Kilroe Mile, San Francisco Breeders' Cup Mile S. (G2) hero Charmo will

make his second start off a lengthy layoff for conditioner Julio Canani. Unraced

since a runner-up finish in the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile S. (G1) in late

May, the six-year-old returned with a better-than-appears eighth in the February

3 Thunder Road, finishing only 3 1/2 lengths back of the front-running winner.

Gomez will ride the 118-pound highweight.

Defending Kilroe champ MILK IT MICK (GB) (Millkom [GB]) is back for this

year's edition, but he will have to overcome a nine-month freshening. KIP

DEVILLE (Kipling), who notched his fourth stakes win at a grassy mile when annexing the

Sir Beaufort S. (G3) last out, is a dangerous contender for Richard Dutrow, and

Canadian Grade 2 victor FAST PARADE (Delineator), a sharp two-length winner in

the Impressive Luck H. most recently, looks like a formidable opponent if he can

handle the stretch out to two turns on Saturday. Grade 2 winner THREE VALLEYS

(Diesis [GB]), who exits a close third in the Citation H. (G1), will represent

the powerful Bobby Frankel stable, and graded winners SILENT NAME (Jpn) (Sunday

Silence), AFTER MARKET (Storm Cat) and BAYEUX (Red Ransom) add further depth to

the competitive field.

GRAFTON (Rahy) will lead the march to the post with a 111-pound impost and

Michael Baze. Next comes Silent Name, Nakatani, 115; Milk It Mick, Mike Smith,

116; PORTO SANTO (Fr) (Kingsalsa), Brice Blanc, 115; TERROPLANE (Fr) (Verglas

[Ire]), Jose Valdivia Jr., 114; Charmo; Fast Parade, Espinoza, 116; Three

Valleys, Flores, 116; After Market, Solis, 114; Kip Deville, Richard Migliore,

115; BOULE D'OR (Ire) (Croco Rouge), Danny Sorenson, 113; and Bayeux, Leparoux,

114.

Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) victress ROMANCE IS DIANE (In Excess [Ire]) will

make her turf debut in the

$90,000

China Doll S. A total of 11 sophomore fillies have been entered for the

one-mile test. Thirteen older distaffers will settle the

$90,000

Flower Girl H., an about 6 1/2-furlong test down the Hillside turf course.