Mr. Commons is coming into the Kilroe Mile off a pair of Grade II
victories at the distance and over the course. He followed his 3
¼-length victory in the Sir Beaufort Stakes on Dec. 26 with a powerful
one-length score at 2-5 odds in the Arcadia Stakes on Feb. 4.
Trained by John Shirreffs for St. George Farm Racing, the
4-year-old Artie Schiller homebred has posted a 4-2-0 record in seven
starts on grass with his only off-the-board finish a highly troubled
trip when fifth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs
last Nov. 5.
Regular rider Mike Smith will be aboard when Mr. Commons
attempts to even the score with Jeranimo, who defeated the fast-closing
odds-on choice by three-quarters of a length in the Grade II Oak Tree
Mile last October. The pair shares high weight of 120 pounds.
Jeranimo, a stablemate of Ultimate Eagle trained by Pender for
Wright, came up a half-length short in last year’s Kilroe Mile when
rallying strongly to wind up third behind Fluke and Caracortado. Garcia
will ride the 6-year-old son of Congaree who has earned $840,400 from an
overall record of 7-5-4 in 25 starts.
The complete field for the Kilroe Mile (10th race), with jockeys
and weights in post position order: Mr. Commons, Smith, 120; Jimmy
Simms, Nakatani, 118; Willyconker, Rosario, 118; Compari, Bejarano, 118;
Jeranimo, Garcia, 120; Massone, Alonso Quinonez, 118; Make Music for
Me, Chantal Sutherland, 118, and Mega Heat, Talamo, 118.