Artie Schiller’s leading lifetime earner Mr. Commons will try to duplicate his sire’s feat when he goes postward Saturday in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park. Artie Schiller won his Breeders’ Cup at the end of a stellar 4-year-old season that also included wins in the Makers’ Mark Mile (G2T) and Bernard Baruch H. (G2T).
Mr. Commons had competed exclusively in graded stakes for the better part of two years, a streak that includes wins in the Sir Beaufort S. (G2) and Arcadia H. (G2), both at Santa Anita. In six starts at the southern California track, Mr. Commons has never been worse than third.
The St. George Racing homebred will break from post 1 in the nine horse field with Brice Blanc in the irons. This will be Blanc’s third time aboard after trainer John Shirreffs made the switch from Mike Smith two starts back. Blanc has guided the striking bay colt to a nose defeat in the Del Mar Mile (G2) and another game third-place one-length defeat in the Arroyo Seco Mile (G2) at Santa Anita on Oct. 6.
