Kilroe Mile draws seven

Seven turf runners have been entered to go a mile on Saturday in Santa

Anita's $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1), and WAR MONGER (War Chant) will

attempt to continue his current streak. The Bill Mott-trained four-year-old

captured an allowance at Saratoga, then led before fading to fourth in the

Jamaica H. (G2) in his stakes debut. The bay used that experience to capture the

Rutgers University S. while ending his 2007 campaign, and began 2008 with a win

in the Sunshine Millions Turf most recently. He'll try to make it three in a row

on Saturday with regular rider Kent Desormeaux back in the saddle.

Seeking to derail War Monger's chances are OUT OF CONTROL (Brz) (Vettori) and

ARTISTE ROYAL (Ire) (Danehill). The former will be making his 2008 debut in this

spot off a nose score in the Oak Tree Mile (G2). The Bobby Frankel-trained Out

of Control also captured last year's American Invitational H. (G2) and was

second in the Eddie Read H. (G1). The five-year-old dark bay will have Michael

Baze in the pilot's seat.

Artiste Royal has been assigned the highweight of 118 pounds, but is

returning here off an eighth-place finish in the November 24 Japan Cup (Jpn-G1).

Prior to that run, the Neil Drysdale charge was an easy winner of the Clement L.

Hirsch Turf Championship (G1) in just his second of three 2007 starts. The

seven-year-old will have Rafael Bejarano aboard for the first time.

Other contenders include Thunder Road H. hero STORM MILITARY (Arg)

(Bernstein), Impressive Luck H. victor EVER A FRIEND (Crafty Friend) and MR

NAPPER TANDY (GB) (Bahamian Bounty), runner-up in the Thunder Road H. and Sir

Beaufort S. (G3) in his past two.

The complete field for the Kilroe, in post order with riders and weights, is

War Monger, 116; Mr Napper Tandy, Richard Migliore, 114; Out of Control, 117;

Artiste Royal; Storm Military, Garrett Gomez, 116; WILLOW O WISP (Misnomer),

Victor Espinoza, 114; and Ever a Friend, Tyler Baze, 113.

Saturday's stakes action will begin with the $90,000

China Doll S., which has

drawn a field of seven. GORGEOUS GOOSE (Mongoose) was well-beaten in her first

two career starts, but has gone two-for-two since switching to the turf in

mid-November. The gray lass broke her maiden over Hollywood Park's green before

making her 2008 debut a 1 1/4-length score in Santa Anita's Blue Norther S. on

Santa Anita's turf. CZECHERS (Indian Charlie) ran third in the Sharp Cat S. and

Tiburon S. on synthetic tracks before successfully transferring to the turf to

capture an allowance/optional claimer last out, and DAJOLIE (Ger) (Auenadler)

will be making her U.S. debut in Saturday's mile test.