Formidable Man rallies to win the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. — Formidable Man made it a day to remember for trainer Michael McCarthy when rallying under jockey Umberto Rispoli to win the Grade I, $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf Saturday at Santa Anita.
For Formidable Man, who won last year’s GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, it was the second top-level victory of his career. For McCarthy, it was his third graded stakes win and fourth victory overall on the card. His earlier wins included the GII San Felipe for 3-year-olds with Journalism, who was also ridden by Rispoli, and the GII Buena Vista for fillies and mares with Liguria ridden by Flavien Prat going a mile on turf.
Formidable Man (5-1) settled in mid-pack early along the rail as Cabo Spirit (31-1) went to the lead and set fractions of 23.20, 47.26 and 1:11.70 six furlongs. In the stretch, Formidable Man remained behind horses until inside the final furlong. At that point, the 4-year-old City of Light colt pinned his ears and launched an explosive inside bid along the rail to surge past the field.
Formidable Man most recently finished last after setting the pace in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park Jan. 25. In the Kilroe, the blinkers Formidable Man wore in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus were removed.
“A lot of things got wound up in Florida,” McCarthy said. “A lot of music a lot of things going on Pegasus day. A little bit of a sensory overload for him. We thought he was finishing his races well enough that blinkers would make little to no difference anymore.”
Formidable Man prevailed by a half-length over Zio Jo (23-1), who edged Cabo Spirit by a neck for second. The winning time was 1:34.57.
“I needed a lot of luck when there were a lot of horses ahead of me,” Rispoli said.
As for McCarthy, he said he was “a little bit anxious” with the cut back to a mile for Formidable Man.
“The horse has been good at a mile and an eighth…all credit goes to Umberto,” McCarthy said. “He was patient, sat a pocket trip and looked for a seam. That is what top riders do.”
Formidable Man improved to 12: 6-2-0 with $817,425 in earnings for owners William K. Warren Jr. and Suzanne Warren. He paid $12.20, $6.80 and $5.20. Zio Jo, ridden by Kyle Frey for trainer Doug O’Neill, returned $17.80 and $9.80. Cabo Spirit, with Mike Smith up for trainer George Papaprodromou paid $12.40.
