Preakness Winner War of Will Returns in Shoemaker Mile

Last May, War of Will had a career-defining moment when he captured the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

On Memorial Day, his connections are looking to add another chapter to the colt's book of accomplishments, seeking glory in the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) May 25 at Santa Anita Park. Win that and the son of War Front  will be a grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf.

Easier plotted than done. One of a handful of top-level stakes this month due to altered schedules from COVID-19, the race drew some of the top short-distance grass horses in the country, including grade/group 1 winners Voodoo Song, Next Shares, River Boyne, Without Parole, and Raging Bull.

Fittingly for a race at this level, the Shoemaker Mile is a "Win and You're In" prep toward the Nov. 7 TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Keeneland. The race, named for legendary Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker, will be televised live on TVG and NBCSN.

War of Will even faces competition from stablemate March to the Arch, who won the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs last year.

For War of Will, who has not raced since finishing ninth in the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita, the Shoemaker is a tall order to kick off his 4-year-old year, which trainer Mark Casse is eager to begin.

"He's been training super. I'm excited to run him," said the newly elected Hall of Famer.

The Gary Barber-owned colt has been breezing since late February, mostly at Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida. Two of those breezes were on turf, including a bullet five-furlong move in :57.65 April 12. Since then, he has recorded four workouts on dirt.

Although War of Will raced exclusively on dirt in nine races last year, he has familiarity with grass racing from his 2-year-old season. He raced four times on grass that year, finishing third in a maiden race, second in the Summer Stakes (G1T), fourth in the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T), and fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). He closed his juvenile campaign with a dirt win in the slop at Churchill.

Casse said the bid for major wins on two surfaces was meant to enhance War of Will's résumé, making him an even more coveted stallion prospect.

"He's a beautiful horse, has a beautiful pedigree," he said.

Flavien Prat will ride from post 5.

Unlike War of Will, March to the Arch has a win this year, the Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Still, March to the Arch has had some bitter defeats, including third-place finishes in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) and Appleton Stakes (G3T) this year.

"He's just been extremely unlucky on more than one occasion," Casse said. "Sometimes he doesn't make his own luck because he doesn't have as quick a turn of foot when you ask him to go. So he gets himself in trouble sometimes. But, I mean, he could have easily won his last couple of races."

March to the Arch is at his best on firm ground, conditions he should receive at Santa Anita with sunny weather in the forecast. 

Victor Espinoza will be aboard the Live Oak Plantation homebred, a 5-year-old gelded son of Arch.

Casse is not the only trainer sending horses west for the Shoemaker. Trainer Chad Brown has a pair entered in Raging Bull and Without Parole.

Glenwood Farm's Without Parole, originally based in Britain with John Gosden, won the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot in June 2018 before going unplaced in five other European starts.

Sent overseas to Brown, he finished third in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Mile, beaten 2 3/4 lengths by stablemate Uni, before disappointing in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1T). Stretched out beyond his best trip of a mile to run 1 3/16 miles in a unique race in which all participants competed without Lasix, he weakened to 11th.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from the rail Saturday.

Though most of his starts have come in the East, Peter Brant's Raging Bull scored his lone grade 1 victory when he captured the Hollywood Derby (G1T) in late-running fashion in December 2018 at Del Mar. He wasn't as successful last year, losing all five of his starts, though he was grade 1-placed three times.

Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the Hollywood Derby victory, will return in the irons from post 8.

Right behind Raging Bull in the 2018 Hollywood Derby was River Boyne, beaten a half-length. But the 5-year-old has rebounded in 2020, winning the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) and Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) under Abel Cedillo.

Jeff Mullins trains for owners Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal.

The Shoemaker is race 9 on the 11-race Memorial Day card. Also on the program are the Monrovia Stakes (G2T) and Gamely Stakes (G1T).

Entries: Shoemaker Mile S. (G1T)

Santa Anita Park, Monday, May 25, 2020, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 1m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Without Parole (GB)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	4/1
2	2True Valour (IRE)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	124	Simon Callaghan	20/1
3	3Next Shares (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Richard Baltas	12/1
4	4Voodoo Song (NY)	Mike E. Smith	122	Richard E. Mandella	12/1
5	5War of Will (KY)	Flavien Prat	122	Mark E. Casse	4/1
6	6Blitzkrieg (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
7	7Majestic Eagle (KY)	Jorge I. Velez	122	Neil D. Drysdale	20/1
8	8Raging Bull (FR)	Joel Rosario	122	Chad C. Brown	7/2
9	9March to the Arch (FL)	Victor Espinoza	124	Mark E. Casse	6/1
10	10Neptune's Storm (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	124	Richard Baltas	15/1
11	11River Boyne (IRE)	Abel Cedillo	126	Jeff Mullins	4/1