The Road Kill Mile
Out on the west coast of the United States this week we will see another weekend packed full of graded stakes races in California. Here we will take a look at The Road Kill Mile (G1), which is open to four-year-olds and up and will be run over a mile on the turf. The race will offer up a total purse of $750,000 and will be run over firm conditions this year. Eleven horses will be taking to the starting gate this Saturday, let’s take a look through these contenders.
- Ulfhednar – bigblueracing6 – C. Winter – 11/1
Drawing the inside rail, the four-year-old colt is sired by Violence. The scratch bred brown colt is graded placed, most recently racing here in California last November during The Parking Ticket (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth. He went out straight to the lead in the race though faded in the final furlongs to cross the wire in third while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. His last victory was in July and came during a listed stakes race over nine furlongs in Kentucky. The colt took the field from gate to wire and would win by three-quarters of a length.
2. Nice And Chill (IRE) – beerkeg0 – R. Hansen – 22/1
The longshot on the board for this Saturday, the Irish-bred four-year-old bay gelding is sired by No Nay Never. The scratch bred gelding has reached nearly one and a half million in career earnings and is already a Grade I winner. The most recent start for the gelding came in November of last year during The Oldmoonfarms Mile (G1) in which he would cross the wire in second after settling into sixth after leaving the gate. His most recent win came at the end of 2024 during the Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Turf (G1) in which he would stalk the pace from third early and after being asked mid-pack to challenge other runners, would go on to win by a neck.
3. Opera Singer – jastables25 – P. Appalonia – 5/1
Back to make her twenty-fourth career start, the Kentucky-bred six-year-old is a son of Nyquist who most recently started in November of last year during the Breeders’ Bowl Mile (G1) here in California. Settling into eighth out of the gate in his last race of the 2025 season, he started to inch forward midway through the race to challenge the other runners. Despite showing an impressive turn of foot down the stretch, the horse would come up just short with a second-place finish, off the pace by just a neck as he set a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. His prior start was a winning one and came overseas in Australia during the Makybe Prima Donna Stakes (G1) also at a mile. Slightly closer up in sixth at the start, he would move up into fourth by the halfway point and coast home to win in front by two and a quarter lengths.
4. Primed Barbara (IRE) – zbarb6 – M. Wallace – 8/1
Coming into the race this weekend off of a win, the Irish-bred by Churchill (IRE) is five-year-olds. The bay gelding most recently started in November of last year during the Euro Mile Final (G1). Stalking the pace early from third he started to inch forward into second midway through the race and would eventually take over the lead to win by two and a half lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred eighteen. This was the gelding’s first Grade I win, through he had previously won against Grade III company in both The Hess Mile (G3) and Madhouse Stakes (G3).
5. Tapit On Home – stockswamie3 – F. Gossett – 16/1
One of the longer shots on the board for this Saturday, the four-year-old is one of the younger horses in the field and has made just eleven lifetime starts. The chestnut is sired by Tapit and out of a graded placed dam. Most recently starting last year in November during the Leviathan Turf (G2) over a mile in New Zealand. Coming from off the pace in eighth, he started to pick up the pace midway through the race before going on to win by one and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. He’s only started in one other Grade I start prior to this Saturday, which came last year during the Florida Derby (G1), a Derby lock prep over a mile and one-eighth in which he would finish eleventh after stalking from third.
6. Embree (IRE) – francua11 – C. Cook – 7/2
At six-years-old, the the light gray horse will be making his twenty-fifth career start this weekend. Sired by Exceed And Excel and out of an allownace-winning dam, the horse made his most recent start in November of last year during the Breeders’ Bowl Mile (G1) here in California. Breaking out of the gate and settling into sixth early, the horse would make a late run in the stretch to cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen and finishing only a length off the pace. His most recent win came in his prior start which took place in September during The Queen Liz Stakes (G1) over a mile overseas in England. The gray horse took the field from gate to wire in this race, winning by four lengths, increasing his lead throughout every call during the race.
7. FB Sid – chibound2 – B. F. Abman –5/1
Returning to graded company after a step down to listed stakes racing, the six-year-old bay gelding most recently started during a listed stakes race over nine furlongs in Virginia last month. Stalking the pace early out of the gate, he would fall back in the final furlongs to cross the wire in fifth, setting a speed figure of one hundred three. His most recent graded start was November of last year during the Breeders’ Bowl Mile (G1) here in California where he would finish fifteenth after dropping back in the stretch from an early fifth-place position. His most recent win was in September of last year during the Canada Mile (G1). Stalking from third out of the gate, he was asked to challenge the contenders midway through the race and would go on to win by one and three-quarter lengths.
8. Eden Yellow Spider (IRE) – royaldemark21 – Mc Cooper – 10/1
Coming into the race off of two consecutive wins, the four-year-old colt is sired by Fastnet Rock (AUS) and will be making his fourteenth lifetime start on Saturday. His most recent race was this past December during the Kazooko Stakes (G2) at seven and a half furlongs. Well off the pace early in eleventh, he would start to move up midway through the race before going on to win by two and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred nineteen, which was a lifetime best speed figure for the colt. Prior to this the colt also won a listed stakes race over a mile in France. This Saturday will mark the colt’s first attempt against Grade I company.
9. Kvasir Breath (ENG) – musse1 – D. Givins – 9/2
Returning to graded company after taking a step down in class, the son of Bated Breath (GB) most recently started overseas in Belgium during an allowance race over a mile on a track that was rated as good. Coming out of the gate well off the pace, the horse settled into tenth early. He was asked to challenge other horses midway through the race and would eventually go on to win the race by three and a half lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred twelve. His most recent graded start came in the start before this which was in the Euro Mile Final (G1) at the same distance. Again settling towards the back of the field in thirteenth he wasn’t urged to challenge until reaching the stretch where he would come up short with a seventh-place finish.
10. Lamb Fillets (IRE) – corzak2 – C. Orza – 10/1
Returning to graded company after a step down in class, the Irish-bred son of Teofilo is six-years-old and one of the more experienced horses in the field with a total of thirty-five lifetime starts. The most recent start for the bay horse was last month overseas in Norway during a listed stakes race at seven and a half furlongs. Settling into ninth out of the gate, the horse would drop back slightly at the midway point of the race before rebounding late to cross the wire in eighth while setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. His most recent win was in March of last year, also against listed stakes company, though this time over seven furlongs. Out of the gate in fifth, the horse would steadily gain ground throughout the race on the rest of the field and would win by a head. His most recent Grade I start was in October during the Golden Hawk (G1) at seven and a half furlongs in which he would cross the wire sixth.
11. Darkness Come (IRE) – darkasr –M. Buck – 11/1
Sired by Dark Angel (IRE) and out of the Grade II winner Sleepwhenitrains, the four-year-old light gray colt is lightly raced with twelve career starts. His most recent start came in December of last year in Hong Kong during the King Kong Mile (G1). Well off the pace in twelfth at the start, the colt started challenging other runners early in the race and worked his way up to second when the field crossed the wire, just three-quarters of a length off the pace. His most recent win came in his prior start which came in October in Australia during the Melbourne Guineas (G1) over the same distance. Off the pace in tenth out of the gate, the colt made a late bid down the stretch and showed an impressive turn of foot as he would go on to win by two and a half lengths while setting a liftime best speed figure of one hundred eighteen.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Embree (IRE)
Place: Primed Barbara (IRE)
Show: Ulfhednar