The Frank E. Kilroe Mile is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run in early March at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...

. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced over a distance of one mile (1.6 km). The

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

race currently offers a purse of $500,000. The Frank E. Kilroe Mile is the official name of the race according to Santa Anita,Frank E. Kilroe Miles Quotes – Saturday, March 10, 2018 (santaanita.com)
Retrieved 22 March 2019 but it is also commonly called the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes. The race is named for Frank E. Kilroe, who was the racing secretary and handicapper at Santa Anita from 1953 to 1990. Kilroe was inducted into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

in 2019 as a Pillar of the Turf.

History

The race was inaugurated in 1960 as the Arcadia Handicap (1960–2000) and was renamed as the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap in 2001. In 2010, it changed from a handicap to a stakes run on an allowance weight base. It was raced at a distance of miles until 1987. In 1972, the distance at which it was raced was "about" miles. In 1987, the distance was changed to one mile. In 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1995, the race was switched from turf to dirt due to weather conditions. The race was upgraded to Grade I status in 2005. The race was open to three-year-olds and up in 1962. In 2010, Proviso became the first female to win the Kilroe in 51 runnings.

Records

Time record: (on turf at current distance of 1 mile) * 1:31.89 – Atticus (1997) Most wins: * 2 – Ga Hai (1975, 1976) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – Laguna Seca (1975, 1976) * 2 - Agave Racing Stable (2018, 2022) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 8 –

Laffit Pincay Jr. Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr. (born December 29, 1946, in Panama City, Panama) was once flat racing's winningest all-time jockey, still holding third place many years after his retirement. He competed primarily in the United States. Career Pinca ...

(1970, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1992, 1995, 2001) Most wins by a trainer: * 7 –

Charles Whittingham Charles Whittingham (16 June 1767 – 5 January 1840) was an English printer. Biography He was born at Caludon or Calledon, Warwickshire, the son of a farmer, and was apprenticed to a Coventry printer and bookseller. In 1789 he set up a small ...

(1971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1987)

Winners of the Frank E. Kilroe Mile

*Note: Run in two divisions in 1972 and 1973.

References

{{reflist Grade 1 turf stakes races in the United States Horse races in the United States Open mile category horse races Santa Anita Park