Mr. Commons and Jeranimo to go at it again, this time in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile
John A. Shirreffs trained 4-year-old colt, Mr. Commons is in good form over the 1 mile distance, a distance which he switched on July last year and prefers it till now. He has raced over the one mile distance in six consecutive starts on turf with a commendable
record of 3 wins, 2 second place finishes and a lone blemish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall where he finished off the board for the first time in fifth.
The Kentucky bred son of Artie Schiller, out of mare Joustabout by Apalachee, Mr. Commons will be running for his hat-trick in his next start, the Grade 1 $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita Park’s turf course on 3 March, 2012, against seven other
4-year-old and above colts and geldings.
The 4-year-old colt was in scintillating form in the Santa Anita Park meet, where he went 2 up in as many starts, captured two grade 2 one mile long stakes races. He is exiting a victory in the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes on grass.
On 4 February, 2012, under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Mr. Commons came off the pace to defeat Willyconker by a length, and take the Arcadia Stakes in 1 minute and 33.41 seconds, as Massone finished third on the day.
Prior to the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes, America’s top miler was coming off a win in the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes on 26 December, 2011, where his top competition was thought to be the rampant, Ultimate Eagle, but on the track it was Mr. Commons, who put the
race to bed in a quick mile defeating Ultimate Eagle in third and Irish Art in second, while covering the distance in 1 minute and 33.84 seconds.
In the Frank E. Kilroe Mile, Mr. Commons drew the rail as the likely favourite to win the $300,000 event, but the sharp Jeranimo could take Mr. Commons out of the equation like he did back in October last year in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile defeating Mr. Commons
by three parts of a length after pressing the pace.
Both these horses raced in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall, but both failed to make an impact as Mr. Commons finished fifth and Jeranimo finished a distant seventh on the day.
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