It's Kip in the Kilroe

It's Kip in the Kilroe

The Richard Dutrow-trained KIP DEVILLE (Kipling) tackled older horses for the

first time in Saturday's $300,000

Frank E.

Kilroe Mile H. (G1) at Santa Anita, and the four-year-old gray proved that

he was up to the challenge when prevailing by a neck after a pulsating stretch

drive. Piloted by Richard Migliore, Kip Deville completed the mile on firm turf

in 1:33 4/5 to hand Dutrow his 1,000th career victory as a trainer.

The eventual winner patiently stalked in third as Fast Parade (Delineator)

established soft splits of :23 4/5 and :48. Silent Name (Jpn) (Sunday Silence)

then wrested control on the turn, getting six furlongs in 1:11. Kip Deville

cruised up ominously on the outside, and the pair staged a terrific duel in the

stretch. Just when Kip Deville at last secured a narrow advantage over a

stubborn Silent Name, Bayeux (Red Ransom) burst from the pack and lunged at the

line to make it a three-way photo finish. Although his late thrust fell just

short, Bayeux nosed out Silent Name for runner-up honors.

"I thought Corey (Nakatani aboard Silent Name) did a great job getting his

horse to settle as well as he did," Migliore said, "but I still thought I was

going to be able to get by him fairly easily. As you saw, though, his horse

really fought back, and when we got by him, I knew there was somebody else

coming on the outside (Bayeux). My horse was really game to hold the lead like

he did."

Sent off at odds of 9-1, Kip Deville returned $20.20, $9.80 and $6.20 while

keying $1 exotics totaling $73 (exacta), $468.70 (trifecta) and $5,748.10

(10-12-2-4 superfecta). The 6-1 Bayeux gave back $8.20 and $4.80, while Silent

Name paid $4.80 at 9-2.

It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Porto Santo (Fr) (Kingsalsa) in fourth.

Next came defending Kilroe champion Milk It Mick (GB) (Millkom [GB]), who

challenged briefly along the rail at the top of the stretch before tiring in his

return from a nine-month layoff. After Market (Storm Cat), 3-1 favorite Charmo

(Fr) (Charnwood Forest [Ire]), Three Valleys (Diesis [GB]), Boule d'Or (Ire) (Croco

Rouge), Fast Parade, Terroplane (Fr) (Verglas [Ire]) and Grafton (Rahy) rounded

out the order under the wire.

Kip Deville has now earned $648,642 from a 15-7-2-1 line. Winner of the Sir

Beaufort S. (G3), Bryan Station S., Grand Prairie Turf Challenge S. and Texas

Heritage S. last season, Kip Deville also finished second to Showing Up

(Strategic Mission) in the Colonial Turf Cup S.

Owned by IEAH Stables et al, Kip Deville was bred by Center Hills Farm in

Oklahoma and sold for $20,000 as a yearling at the 2004 Texas August sale. He

was produced by the stakes-winning Klondike Kaytie (Encino) and has a juvenile

full sister named Kip Seville.