River Boyne edges out Got Stormy in Santa Anita's Kilroe Mile

River Boyne snuck up the rail Saturday to earn his first Grade 1 win in a hometown upset, nipping the east coast shipper Got Stormy by a neck in a thrilling three-wide finish in Santa Anita Park’s Grade 1, $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile.

The Jeff Mullins trainee with Abel Cedillo aboard used a shrewd ride to score at 5-1, leaving Got Stormy — the 5-year-old mare taking on the boys — a narrow second. Next Shares was another head back on the outside to complete the blanket finish. 

Got Stormy looked content to chase pace-setting Kingly through the opening half mile in 46.49 seconds. At the top of the stretch, she inherited the lead and led by 1 1/2-lengths at the eighth pole. But racing in the center of the track, Got Stormy was just tracked down in her second start of the season.

River Boyne, who teamed with Cedillo to win the Thunder Road (G3) at Santa Anita last out, completed one mile on a firm course in 1:33.88.

"A perfect trip," Mullins said. "I told Abel to try and get the same trip he did last time. This time he had to go inside instead of outside. Abel has done a great job keeping him in position, that's the way he like to run and he's got a really good kick down the lane. I couldn't say any more about Abel."

As for Got Stormy -- who was exiting a loss as the odds-on favorite in the Endeavour (G3) in her 5--year-old bow--  jockey Tyler Gaffalione wasn't disappointed with the effort.

"It's definitely a step forward from the last race," Gaffalione said. "We would have liked to have won, but hopefully she comes out of the race fine. 

"We didn't see much pace on the form, so we figured we'd be a little aggressive out of the gate--she usually breaks well," Gaffalione continued. "I just took back to the outside of [Kingly] and sat beautifully the whole way. I had a ton of horse coming into the stretch, and she kicked on, but she just got run down."

River Boyne won for the eighth time in 23 starts. Owned by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal Inc. this is his sixth stakes win and fourth graded tally, first at the top level.

“It means a lot,” Mullins said of getting a Grade 1 win for River Boyne. “He just needs the trip and he’s gotten the trip twice in a row.”

Away at 5-1, the 5-year-old by Dandy Man bred in Ireland, paid $12 to win. River Boyne is campaigned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal LLC. 

Behind the top three, True Valour ran fourth in a field of 10 older horses.