Santa Anita: Kilroe Mile next for Mr. Commons

Benoit & Associates

Mr. Commons, with Mike Smith riding, wins the Arcadia.

ARCADIA, Calif. -  Saturday at Santa Anita, Mr. Commons solidified his position as best turf miler on the West Coast, if not the nation, with his victory in the Arcadia Stakes. The Arcadia is a prep for the Grade 1, $300,000 Kilroe Mile on the Big ’Cap undercard on March 3, and that is where he is headed next, according to his trainer, John Shirreffs.

“He’s really matured a lot,” Shirreffs said.

Fed Biz takes next step

The highly regarded Fed Biz, coming off a maiden win in his second lifetime start on Dec. 30, steps up to a first-level allowance in Thursday’s second race, a one-mile event in which he will face another eye-catching maiden winner, the Mike Puype-trained Consulado.

“It’s a tough race,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Fed Biz. “I thought they were helping me to fill it, and then I saw Pupye’s horse and went, ‘Wait a minute! There are two good horses in there.’ ”

Fed Biz has the experience of already having won at one mile, and the second-place finishing in his maiden win, Zackn’mat, came back to win.

“He’s got a lot of talent,” Baffert said. “This will be his second time going two turns, and then he should be ready to go into a stake.”

Aussie star Pressday making U.S. debut

Pressday was a Group 1 winner in his native Australia, but his form deteriorated last year, so he was sent to the United States, where he can use Lasix, a medication prohibited in Australia. If he returns to his best form, Pressday could be a major factor in Thursday’s seventh race, a money-allowance sprint on the hillside turf course.

“I was looking at the Arcadia with him, but decided to start him down the hill when this race came up,” said John Sadler, who trains Pressday. “He was a top horse before he went off form. He’s a nice horse. He’s doing good. I expect a good race from him.”