River Boyne Turns Back Got Stormy in Kilroe Mile
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Photo: Benoit Photo
River Boyne (inside) wins the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes over Got Stormy (center) and Next Shares at Santa Anita Park
If at first you don't succeed, a return trip to the same race could be just the ticket.
Fourth in the 2019 edition, River Boyne came back to the $402,500 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) and ran down even-money favorite Got Stormy March 7 at Santa Anita Park, earning his first grade 1 victory.
The Irish-bred son of Dandy Man was all heart under jockey Abel Cedillo as he raced along the rail early in fourth, was shifted out a bit to find running room off the turn for home, then had to dive back to the inside to catch Got Stormy. His grade 1-winning female rival took the lead into the stretch after tracking along in second behind pacesetter Kingly but ran out of ground and lost by a neck.
"Thank God my horse can go anywhere, inside or outside," Cedillo said. "I was trying to go outside, but when I saw (Got Stormy) move up a little bit, I got plenty of room inside. So I just took a chance to go inside, and my horse responded really good."
Kingly showed the way through a quarter in :23.15 and a half in :46.49 before Got Stormy and jockey Tyler Gaffalione made their move. The 5-year-old daughter of Get Stormy took over from her stalking spot as three-quarters went in 1:10.27 and was a length clear with a sixteenth of a mile to run after getting seven-eighths in 1:22.04.
But River Boyne had more to give, with the tiring Kingly first to succumb. A few more strides and Got Stormy was vanquished in the shadow of the wire. Grade 1 winner Next Shares was a head back in third. The final time was 1:33.88 on turf rated firm.
Coming off a fourth in the Feb. 8 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs in her first start of the year, Got Stormy showed more of the form that saw her win the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) and Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) last season, with runner-up efforts in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) and Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) between.
"It's definitely a step forward from the last race," Gaffalione said. "We would have liked to have won, but hopefully she comes out of the race fine. … I had a ton of horse coming into the stretch, and she kicked on, but she just got run down."
Sent off as the 5-1 second choice on the merits of a handy victory in the Feb. 8 Thunder Road Stakes (G3T), River Boyne returned $12 on a $2 win ticket. He races for Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal and is conditioned by Jeff Mullins.
"Abel has done a great job keeping him in position—that is the way he likes to run, and he's got a really good kick down the lane," Mullins said. "He'll go anywhere you want him to as long as he's got enough energy left. Abel has done a great job of saving it until it counts, so a lot of credit goes to Abel."
(L-R): Jeff Mullins and Abel Cedillo celebrate their Frank E. Kilroe Mile score
River Boyne spent time on the sideline from May to October last year. He did not win in 2019 but placed in multiple events, including the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T).
"When I brought him back off the layoff, I wasn't sure he was coming back," Mullins said. "He threw a dud the first time, and then he had some troubles, but he's back."
River Boyne was bred by Limestone and Tara Studs out of the Mark of Esteem mare Clytha. The five-time graded stakes winner improved his record to 9-5-4 from 24 starts with earnings of $1,211,918.
"He is the definition of a real racehorse," said Mark Cohen of Red Baron's Barn. "He was turned out for a little while, but he was not happy. He didn't like being at the ranch. As soon as he comes back to the track, he's back to business. This is what he loves to do.
"I'm thrilled for the horse and for everyone who has been involved with him. He is a super nice horse, and everybody has just done a great job with him, Jeff in particular."