Bolo's SA Turf Record on the Line in Kilroe

Bolo will put his three-for-three record over the Santa Anita Park lawn on the line March 12 in the $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (gr. IT), with grade II winners Om and Midnight Storm in to challenge.

The 4-year-old Temple City   colt seeks his first grade I for trainer Carla Gaines and partners Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack, and comes in off a career-best performance off the layoff in the Feb. 13 Arcadia Stakes (gr. IIT), in which he defeated grade I winner Obviously going the Kilroe distance. Flavien Prat was in the irons that day but is committed to ride rival Bal a Bali, so Mike Smith will be aboard.

BALAN: Bolo Thrives in Return to Turf at Santa Anita

Bolo, who prepped for this start with a handy five-furlong breeze March 5 in 1:02, carries 119 pounds—as do all other starters except 121-pound highweight Om.

Trained by Dan Hendricks and owned by K.B. Sareen, Om was an impressive winner over the course of the Dec. 26 Mathis Brothers Mile (gr. IIT) but never threatened when he finished third, beaten three lengths, in the Arcadia. The 4-year-old son of Munnings   is a natural speedster who holds a two-for-three record going a mile on the grass. He has two wins from three tries over the Santa Anita lawn. Gary Stevens rides from the rail.

Bal a Bali, who made a remarkable comeback from laminitis to race again, is trained by Richard Mandella. The 6-year-old Brazillian-bred cuts back a furlong in distance off of a sharp third in the 1 1/8-mile San Gabriel Stakes (gr. IIT) Jan 2. Best suited at the Kilroe distance, he's six for nine at one mile on grass. A multiple goup I winner in Brazil, Bal a Bali was an impressive winner of his U.S. debut in the American Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita in May of 2015. Owned by Fox Hill Farms and Siena Farms, Bal a Bali has 13 wins from 18 overall starts.

Midnight Storm, who beat Bal a Bali in the 1 1/16-mile Seabiscuit Handicap (gr. IIT) Nov. 27 in his last start, comes off the bench for trainer Phil D'Amato here. The 5-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile   has also won impressively going a mile on the Santa Anita lawn.

Rounding out the field are allowance winners Kenjisstorm and What a View, along with invader De Treville, who makes his first start stateside for John Shirreffs after beginning his career in France.