Experience, not stamina, is concern for Kilograeme heading into Santa Anita Oaks

By Steve Andersen
3/2/11 9:56 PM
ESPN

Starting the rapidly improving Kilograeme over 1 1/16 miles for the first time in Saturday's $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks against a highly talented field is not a concern, trainer Mike Mitchell insists.

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ARCADIA, Calif. -- Starting the rapidly improving Kilograeme over 1 1/16 miles for the first time in Saturday's $250,000 Santa Anita Oaks against a highly talented field is not a concern, trainer Mike Mitchell insists.

"If I've got an edge, I know my filly wants to run all day," Mitchell said. "I've thought that from the beginning."

While Mitchell is confident of her stamina, the issue of experience is another matter. Owned by the Little Red Feather Racing syndicate and partners, Kilograeme, who is by Graeme Hall, won a maiden race over seven furlongs on Jan. 9 and an allowance race over a mile on Feb. 13, her only two starts.

For the Oaks, she faces a stern test as part of a field of five that includes three Grade 1 winners  A Z Warrior (Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park last October), Turbulent Descent (Hollywood Starlet in December) and Zazu (Las Virgenes Stakes here last month). The field also is rounded out by Withgreatpleasure, a maiden race winner over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 27.

Those fillies have between four and six starts.

"The others are more seasoned than me," Mitchell said. "I've thought mine was a stakes horse. She's trained very well."

Turbulent Descent was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Zazu in the one-mile Las Virgenes, the first loss in four starts for Turbulent Descent. A Z Warrior has not started since finishing a troubled 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs last November.

A Z Warrior may set the pace, while Kilograeme should be a stalker. A small field may help Kilograeme's chances, Mitchell said.

"She comes from out if it and that's less horses to maneuver around," he said.

The Santa Anita Oaks field will not include Rigoletta, who won the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes at Hollywood Park in October. Rigoletta finished fifth in the Grade 3 La Habra Stakes on the hillside turf course on Feb. 21, her only start since October.

Trainer Dan Hendricks said on Wednesday that Rigoletta will start in the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 12 or the China Doll Stakes here on turf on March 13 as a prep for the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park on April 10.


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