The $500,000 Penn Mile Stakes, a mile turf test for 3-year-old males, features a rematch between Grade 2 American Turf Stakes winner Global View and runner-up Storming Inti. Global View leads the field with a perfect two-for-two record in stakes on the grass in his brief career while Storming Inti will try to avenge his Derby day loss.

Other top contenders include Bobby's Kitten, who won the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes last fall but most recently turned in a poor effort over an all-weather surface, and recent Grade 2 Lexington Stakes runner-up Divine Oath who returns to grass where he has a perfect two-for-two record.

Global View has three wins and one runner-up finish in four career tries on turf, most recently winning by a neck over Storming Inti in a field of 10 to capture the American Turf Stakes four weeks ago. Gary Stevens guided Global View to that win and comes in from California to ride again. The colt showed a big late kick in that last victory when rallying from seventh with one-quarter mile to go. With the ground saving rail for the Penn Mile and with the best last-race Equibase Speed Figure (103) in the field, Global View appears to be the one to beat in this race.

Divine Oath is the most lightly raced horse in the field, having just started three times in his career. He won the first two times he ran, both on turf, then in his third career start in April not only did he try a different surface for the first time but also stakes competition in the Lexington Stakes, run on the all-weather Polytrack surface at Keeneland. After breaking slowly in a field of eight and brushing the gate at the start, Divine Oath passed all but impressive winner Mr. Speaker in a fine effort. Back on the turf for the Penn Mile and having earned a 102 Equibase figure the last time he ran on the grass, Divine Oath may have a shot at posting the mild upset win. Doing so would add to the tremendous year trainer Todd Pletcher is having, recently passing D. Wayne Lukas for the lead on the all-time earnings list among trainers.

Bobby's Kitten showed a great deal of talent last year when winning the Pilgrim Stakes in only the third start of his career. After a third place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Stakes, Bobby's Kitten took four months off and returned to win his first start as a three-year-old in March, defeating Global View in the process. Trying a surface other than turf for the first time in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Bobby's Kitten failed to fire and ended up 12th of 14. Now back on the turf, he could rebound to competitive form and as his Pilgrim effort of a 105 Equibase figure shows, he could be in the thick of the action in this year's Penn Mile.

Storming Inti gets honorable mention as a stakes winner on turf after taking the Kitten's Joy Stakes in January. Third, fourth and second since then, Storming Inti likes to run right on the lead, as does Bobby's Kitten, which has potential to prove problematic for both of them. Just the same, with a 106 figure earned in the Palm Beach Stakes in March when beaten less than a length and having finished just a neck behind Global View earlier this month, Storming Inti can't be discounted as a contender. 

The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Coastline (99), Laddie Boy (95), Mr. Brioni (93) and Sing the Dream (86).

My Selections:

Global View
Divine Oath
Bobby's Kitten
Storming Inti

$500,000 Penn Mile Stakes

Saturday, Race 4, Penn National Race Course, Post Time 7:31 PM E.T.

One mile, turf, 3-Year-Olds