Final Boss rides the rail to get up in in time, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Making his first start since September, Final Boss outran favorite El Potente in the final furlong to spring a 31-1 upset in the Grade II, $200,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf Saturday at Santa Anita.
Final Boss, trained by John Sadler, prevailed by a half-length under Juan Hernandez for his first graded stakes victory. El Potente (9-5), with Hector Berrios aboard for trainer Dan Blacker, finished 1lengths clear of third-place finisher Almendares (3-1).
“This horse always gives us a great effort,” said Juan Leyva, Sadler’s assistant. “He’s had little issues at times, but he always runs big.”
Sadler was in Ocala Saturday for the OBS March 2-year-olds in training sale.
Final Boss and El Potente raced within a length of each other in third and fourth, respectively, as eastern invader Mi Bago (16-1) zipped through sharp fractions of 22.88, 45.95 and 1:08.66 for six furlongs. When Mi Bago began to weaken at the top of the stretch, Final Boss and El Potente were the two to take advantage They matched strides to the wire before Final Boss edged away late for the victory. The final time was a rapid 1:32.94.
“I just smooched at him a little bit near the quarter pole and the horse won the race,” Hernandez said. For Hernandez, a perennial leading rider at Santa Anita, it was his fourth victory on the card. His wins also included the GII San Felipe aboard Potente and the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile on Splendora.
Final Boss hadn’t started since finishing off the board in the GII City of Hope Mile on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita. His only previous stakes victory came in 2024 in the black-type Cinema Stakes at Santa Anita. A 5-year-old horse by American Pharoah, he improved to 15: 6-1-0 with $378,700 in earnings for owners By Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds. By Talla also co-owns Beholder Mile winner Splendora.
“I think the last couple of times he was a little rank,” Hernandez said. “To be honest, it was kind of my fault because I was chasing a little bit. Today, he broke good, but I left him alone. That was the key. He relaxed and finished really strong.”
Final Boss paid $65.40, $20.60 and $8.60. El Potente returned $3.20 and $2.40. Almendares, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Phil D’Amato, paid $2.80.
GRADE II, KILROE MILE STAKES QUOTES
JOCKEY QUOTES
JUAN HERNANDEZ, FINAL BOSS, WINNER: “This is a really nice horse. He was training really good in the mornings. I just want to say thanks to John (Sadler) and Juan (Leyva) because they let me ride this horse. They said, ‘Hey, this horse is training really good, the horse is ready to win, so do whatever you want with him.’ Actually, the horse took me there. He positioned himself. I just smooched at him a little bit at the quarter pole and he won the race.
“I think the last couple of times he was a little rank, but to be honest, it was kind of my fault because I was chasing a little bit the past couple of times. Today, he broke good, but I left him alone and that was the key. He relaxed and finished really strong.
“I have two more (mounts), so let’s win two more races.”
TRAINER QUOTES
JUAN LEYVA, ASSISTANT TO JOHN SADLER, FINAL BOSS, WINNER: “This horse always gives us a great effort. He’s had little issues at times, but he always runs big. We knew there was a lot of speed in this race, so Juan (Hernandez) did a great job in laying off the pace and getting him settled. When it was time to kick for home, he made a huge move to get to the line and win.”
NOTES: Trainer John Sadler is in Ocala. The winning owners are By Talla Racing LLC and West Point Thoroughbreds.
