$200,000 LONGACRES MILE (G3) DRAWS 25 NOMS,
81st RENEWAL SET FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 14
AUBURN, Wash. (August 1, 2016) – Twenty-five horses including the top three finishers from last year’s race—Stryker Phd, Sammy Mandeville and Alert Bay—have been nominated to the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) on Sunday, August 14.
The 81st running of the Grade 3 Mile is the Northwest’s premier Thoroughbred race and caps a stakes double-header also featuring the $65,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares.
Budding star O B Harbor heads a local contingent that includes two-time defending Longacres Mile champion Stryker Phd, whose bid to become the first three-time Mile winner has been knocked off course with a third place finish in the Budweiser Stakes and a fourth in the Mt. Rainier Stakes.
A 4-year-old Oregon-bred, O B Harbor has been brilliant in 2016, reeling off four straight victories including triumphs in the Governor’s Stakes, Budweiser Stakes and Mt. Rainier Stakes. Trained by Chris Stenslie for One Horse Will do Corporation, O B Harbor has run meet fastest times at 5 ½ furlongs, 6 ½ furlongs, one mile and 1 1/16 miles. He fits the profile of recent Mile winners, who dominated local runners before handling all comers in The Mile.
Alert Bay, third last year, also is extremely versatile, capturing graded races on dirt and turf while bankrolling over $1.1 million for Peter Redekop and trainer Blaine Wright.
Sammy Mandeville is winless in six starts this year but showed a fondness for Emerald Downs with a determined rally in the 2015 Mile, rallying from 18 lengths back to finish runner-up to Stryker Phd. His trainer, Doug O’Neill, saddled Sky Jack to a state record 1:33 clocking in the 2003 Longacres Mile.
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer nominated Cyrus Alexander, Point Piper and Chief of Staff to The Mile. A $1.7 million son of Medaglia d’Oro, Cyrus Alexander seems a perfect fit for the race, compiling a 2-2-1 record in six starts at one mile, and scored by 2 ¼ lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) in May. Point Piper has been locking horns with toughies, most recently finishing third and fourth in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and The Californian (G2).
Southern California trainer Peter Miller nominated Calculator and El Huerfano. A 4-year-old by In Summation, Calculator was runner-up to American Pharoah in the 2015 Front Runner (G1) and finished second this year in the Carter Handicap (G1) and Churchill Downs Handicap (G2), both at seven furlongs.
Barkley, the lone 3-year-old nominated, has enjoyed a sensational sophomore season for Howard Belvoir and Rising Star Stable III, compiling three stakes wins before dropping a head decision to Opportunistic in the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby. Collaborator in 1958 is the last 3-year-old to win the Longacres Mile.
Multiple-graded winner Dortmund, second to California Chrome in last week’s San Diego Handicap, was nominated by trainer Bob Baffert, but is expected to remain at Del Mar for the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic (G1) on August 20.
Handicap weights for the Longacres Mile will be announced Saturday, August 6, with entries drawn Wednesday, August 10. High weights preferred if more than 12 horses enter the race.
$200,000 Longacres Mile (G3), Sunday, August 14, 2016
Horse. . . . . . . .Owner. . . . . . . .Trainer
Alert Bay (5g-CAL) Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd. Blaine Wright
Anytime Anyplace (4c-FLA) Ferro Family Trust & Harlingten Paddy Gallagher
Barkley (3c-KY) Rising Star Stable III Or Howard Belvoir Howard Belvoir
Blue Dancer (4g-KY) C & H Duggan Farms and Shot In The Dark Greg Tracy
Calculator (4c-FLA) Richard C. Pell Peter Miller
Chief of Staff (4c-CA) Mark Dedomenico LLC Jerry Hollendorfer
Crittenden (4g-KY) Godolphin Racing LLC Eoin Harty
Cyrus Alexander (4c-KY) Spendthrift Farm and Stonestreet Stables Jerry Hollendorfer
Dedicated to You (4g-WA) Coal Creek Farm David Martinez
Dortmund (4c-KY) Kaleem Shah Inc. Bob Baffert
El Huerfano (4c-CAL) Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber Peter Miller
Heir of Storm (6g-FLA) Paymaster Racing Richard Baltas
Highway Boss (4g-KY) North American Thoroughbred Racing Co. Mike Puhich
Indian Brut (5h-KY) Charles E. Fipke Tim McCanna
Its Allabout Jerry (4c-ORE) Rancho Viejo & Lisa Baze Rigoberto Velasquez
Kristo (5h-KY) Hronis Racing LLC John W. Sadler
Life Is a Joy (5g-CAL) Valentin Picho Garcia Robbie Baze
O B Harbor (4g-ORE) One Horse Will Do Corporation Chris Stenslie
Papa Frank (4g-CAL) Mary Tate and Shane Bailey Jeff Metz
Point Piper (6-KY) Gatto Racing, Russo, Schlaich, Hollendorfer Jerry Hollendorfer
Prime Engine (4c-KY) Mark Dedomenico LLC Mike Puhich
Sabado Alegre (CHI) (4c) Copper Water Thoroughbred Company Craig MacPherson
Sammy Mandeville (5h-KY) W.C. Racing Doug O’Neill
Star Student (6g-KY) F & C Desimone, G Kelly & A MacLennon Dan Markle
Stryker Phd (7g-WA) Jim & Mona Hour Larry Ross
2016 Longacres Mile Nomination Facts & Figures:
- Graded Stakes Winners Nominated: Alert Bay (G2), Calculator (G3), Cyrus Alexander (G3) Dortmund (G1), Stryker Phd (G3)
- Graded Stakes Placed Nominated: Crittenden (G3), Heir of Storm (G3), Kristo (G2), Point Piper (G2), Sammy Mandeville (G3)
- Kentucky-breds Top Nominations: Kentucky 12, California 5, Florida 3, Washington 2, Oregon 2, Chile 1
- 4-Year-Olds Top Nominations: 3-year-olds—1; 4year-olds—15; 5year-olds—5; 6-year-olds 3; 7-year-olds—1
- Last Start At: Emerald Downs 8, Santa Anita 6, Del Mar 5, Hastings Racecourse 2, Golden Gate 1, Northlands Park 1, Prairie Meadows 1, Santa Rosa 1
- Last Race On: Dirt 21, Turf 3, Synthetic 1
- Three Horses Also Nominated Last Year: Stryker Phd, Sammy Mandeville, Alert Bay
- Six Mile-Winning Trainers Nominated Horses: Bob Baffert, Howard Belvoir, Jerry Hollendorfer, Doug O’Neill, Mike Puhich, Larry Ross
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