Mr. Commons Seeks Another Graded Turf Tally in Kilroe

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.