Final Boss Stuns at 31-1 Odds, Wins G2 Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita

Trainer John W. Sadler had been waiting a long time for this. Final Boss, returning from a layoff of more than five months, came off the bench Saturday at Santa Anita Park and stunned the field at 31-1, winning the Grade II Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf to earn his first graded stakes victory.

Jockey Juan J. Hernandez guided the winner to a final time of 1:32.94 on a firm course, outfinishing favored El Potente by a half-length in the stretch. A $2 win ticket on Final Boss returned $65.40.

The race unfolded in a way that few expected, including from Final Boss himself. Deviating from his customary front-running style, Hernandez rated Final Boss in third as Mi Bago carved out testing early fractions of :22.88, :45.95, and 1:08.66. When the field turned for home, Final Boss angled inside El Potente in the stretch and simply outstayed him, with Hector Berrios unable to hold off the late surge aboard the favorite.

The victory carried the weight of a genuine upset: not only did Final Boss go postward at odds few took seriously, he had been absent from competition for more than five months before stepping into a Grade II field at one of California's most demanding turf tracks. The $200,000 Kilroe Mile, run over a mile on the Santa Anita turf course, now belongs to him.

The Kilroe was part of a strong Saturday stakes card at Santa Anita. Earlier in the afternoon, Splendora cruised to victory in the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile Stakes at the Grade I level, giving the day's program two memorable performances on the same turf strip.