John Shirreffs' Harmonious and Mr. Commons probable favourites for the Del Mar Stakes' races next weekend
John Shirreffs, an active trainer from Inglewood, California has set his eyes on the two major stakes races at Del Mar, and possibly the two horses he is planning to race in those stakes races could turn out to be the favourites to win it as well.
Shirreffs is planning to deploy his 3-year-old son of Artie Schiller, Mr. Commons, in the Grade 2 $150,000 La Jolla Handicap to be held on 13 August, 2011. It is a race for 3 year and above colts and geldings, run over at a distance of 1 1/16 miles on the
turf surface at Del Mar racecourse.
On the other hand, the Shireffs trained slightly older filly, Harmonious would gear up for the tough running of the Grade 2 John C Mabee Handicap with a purse of $250,000 for the taking, and she will be the favoured to sink her teeth into that prize money
on 14 August, 2011.
Son of Artie Schiller, out of Joustabout by Apalachee, Mr. Commons, future will be decided by trainer John Shirreffs over how the colt trains on the turf, and assessing on his time, the plans will be finalized for his inclusion in the Grade 2 handicap next
weekend.
Owned by St George Farm Racing, Mr. Commons is coming off a nice win in the Oceanside Stakes over at Del Mar and most importantly on turf. On 20 July, 2011, under jockey M Smith, the 3-year-old colt took on a distance of 1 mile.
With the likes of Burns and Extensive, the colt made rapid fractions from the start to the quarter and half as he surged under Smith to track down leaders and assumed the leaders position 2 furlongs out.
Driven skillfully, Mr. Commons hit the wire with the final time of 1 minute and 34.96 seconds.
He previously won twice in the year 2011, breaking his maiden in his second attempt at Santa Anita under the usual jockey M Smith over at a distance of 6 ½ furlongs. Fast pace shown by Mr. Commons as he broke his maiden in 1 minute and 12.14 seconds on 15
January, 2011.
Second win was in an allowance race on dirt at a distance of one mile, also at Santa Anita.
Waiting in the wings is the 4-year-old filly Harmonious, who is winless in her last three starts, and she would be looking to turn her season around in the $250,000 John C Mabee Handicap.
She has been finishing on the cards of late, but twice fell away as a runner up and once finished third in her last three starts. Her last race was the Grade 2 Royal Heroine at Hollywood Park, where she got narrowly defeated by another superb filly Celtic
Princess.
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