NEWS
Mr. Commons surges from between horses to take Arcadia Stakes
Posted: Saturday, February 04, 2012 6:52 PM
MR. COMMONS WINS ARCADIA STAKES
Benoit & Associates photo
For video of the Arcadia Stakes, click here.
by Ron Parker
St. George Farm Racing’s homebred Mr. Commons gave his backers some anxious moments when the four-year-old Artie Schiller colt appeared blocked in midstretch, but Mr. Commons closed powerfully after jockey Mike Smith steered him between horses and won the $150,000 Arcadia Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park on Saturday.
“He’s just incredible,” Smith said of the overwhelming 2-to-5 favorite, who won his second consecutive Grade 2 race. “Like I said before, he makes me feel like a kid again. When I ride him, he gives me a whole lot of guts because I believe in him so much. I know that he’s going to go anywhere I ask him to go, and he does it with extreme acceleration. He just makes my job really easy.”
Third in last year’s Santa Anita Derby (G1), the bay colt has held his form well for trainer John Shirreffs since a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Preakness Stakes (G1), finishing in the top three in four of his final five starts of 2011, all stakes races. The only blemish was a fifth-place finish in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), just 4 ½ lengths back of winner Court Vision.
“Last year, he was a little immature and had a little trouble [in the Breeders’ Cup Mile]. Now he’s handling tight spots very well,” Shirreffs said. “There’s so much difference between him now and when he ran in the Santa Anita Derby you cannot imagine. Totally different. Experience is a great teacher.”
Kentucky-bred Mr. Commons is out of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Justabout, by Apalachee. He boosted his earnings to $563,660 with five wins from 11 starts.
For an Equibase chart,click here.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
