Mr. Commons to get his revenge on Wilkinson in the Shoemaker Mile
Gaillardia Racing’s Wilkinson stunned Mr. Commons in the Grade 2, $150,000 American Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park after being sent as the 44 to 1 choice on 26 May, 2012, at about 1 mile over the venue’s turf course.
Mr. Commons, who was sent as the 3 to 5 favourite in the American Handicap, will have an opportunity to take his revenge on Wilkinson in a much large pursed $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on 30 June, 2012, at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Trained by Jeff Mullins, the 4-year-old colt, Wilkinson, was coming off a sixth place finish to, Point of Entry in the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland’s turf course over a distance of 1 ½ miles.
The Lemon Drop Kid hadn’t won a race in six starts prior to the American Handicap, and he last victory came in an allowance/optional claimer over at Saratoga’s turf course on 22 August, 2011.
Over a distance of 1 1/16 miles, Wilkinson got the better of, Asphalt in the dying stages of the race, and nipped the determined runner to win the race with the winning time of 1 minute and 47.85 seconds, as War Hoot finished third on the day.
That was Wilkinson’s first start on grass, as prior to that he had mostly been a dirt horse with a lone start on the poly track. Running in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes over Keeneland’s synthetic surface, though without much
success.
After switching to turf, and winning a race at Saratoga, Wilkinson, capped off his 2011 season with a strong finish in his last three races.
The colt ran a 1 mile race in the Summing Stakes at Belmont Park, and finished third to winner Top Surprize. He then followed it up with another third place finish to, Western Aristocrat in the Grade 1 Jamaica Handicap also at Belmont Park, but with a stretched
out distance of 1 1/8 miles.
Though, in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf, Wilkinson improved his finishing, as he ran a game second to Humble and Hungry at Churchill Downs at about 1 1/16 miles.
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