Kilroe One-Two Finishers Meet Again in Shoemaker

Du Jour  and Easter , the one-two finishers in the March 3 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T), will face each other again in the May 27 Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. One of their biggest challengers could be Conclude , a 4-year-old making his first start against older horses.

Phil D'Amato trains Easter and Conclude, while Bob Baffert trains Du Jour. Typically on the Southern California circuit, Baffert dominates the dirt graded stakes while D'Amato does the same on turf. Though Baffert's stable is geared to the main track, Du Jour is making a name for himself on the grass.

Owned by Baffert's wife, Jill, and Debbie Lanni, 6-year-old Du Jour has won three of his four starts since finishing sixth in last year's Shoemaker Mile. At Del Mar last summer, the gelded son of Temple City   won the Wickerr Stakes and Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2T). Tenth after a wide trip in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), Du Jour debuted this year with a two-length win in the Kilroe. Flavien Prat, who was aboard in the Del Mar Mile, Breeders' Cup, and Kilroe, returns from post 2.

Prior to the Kilroe, 6-year-old Easter had won three consecutive stakes dating back to last fall. The gelding began with the Oct. 28 Lure Stakes at Santa Anita, added the Nov. 25 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar, and finished with the Dec. 26 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita. D'Amato has named Antonio Fresu to ride from post 11.

Conclude hasn't competed since last summer's Del Mar meeting. He began a three-stakes streak at Santa Anita in the Desert Code Stakes a year ago, and at Del Mar he captured the Oceanside Stakes and Del Mar Derby (G2T). About two weeks after the Del Mar Derby, Conclude's breeder and co-owner, Brereton C. Jones, passed away. The son of Collected   races for Little Red Feather, Madaket Stables, and Jones' estate. Hector Berrios will ride from post 4.

Trainer Wesley Ward is shipping in Funtastic Again  and Dominican Pioneer  from Kentucky. Four-year-old Funtastic Again (Frankie Dettori, post 8) is a stakes winner from Turfway Park who most recently ran third in the March 23 Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (G3). Five-year-old Dominican Pioneer is a front-running allowance winner, and the Shoemaker is only his second stakes attempt.

An intriguing entry is There Goes Harvard , who hasn't started since the 2023 Santa Anita Handicap (G1). The 6-year-old was also nominated to the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes (G2) on the same card, but not entered. There Goes Harvard won the 2022 Gold Cup. He has two wins in four starts on the turf. Trainer Michael McCarthy has named Juan Hernandez to ride from post 3.

Graded stakes winner Air Force Red  has also been entered in the May 26 Daytona Stakes (G3T) over Santa Anita's downhill turf course of about 6 1/2 furlongs. The rest of the Shoemaker field includes graded stakes winners War At Sea , Johannes , and Goliad , as well as multiple stakes winner Irideo .