Five Star General (left) catches Clovisconnection for a head victory

FIVE STAR GENERAL REPEATS IN LONGACRES MILE

AUBURN, Wash. (Aug. 11, 2024) – Five Star General refused to lose Sunday at Emerald Downs, surging past Clovisconnection in the final stride for a head victory in the 89th running of the $150,000 Longacres Mile.

The betting favorite ridden by Joe Bravo at 122 lbs., Five Star General ran the mile in 1:34.98 and paid $4.22, $3.18, and $2.44.

Grant Forster, saddling his third Longacres Mile winner, is the trainer for owner Ken Alhadeff (Elttaes Stable) of Seattle.

With the victory, Five Star General added the latest chapter to what is fast becoming one of the greatest resumes in the storied history of the Mile. For starters, he joins Amble In, Simply Majestic, Trooper Seven, and Stryker Phd as the only two-time winners, and even more remarkably has now finished first, second or third in the last five runnings of the race. He also joins Little Rollo, Gigantic, and Awesome Gem as 8-year-olds to win.

Unlike last year, when Five Star General looked like a winner throughout, this one was anything but easy. Five-wide around the first turn, languishing an uncharacteristic sixth on the backstretch, four-wide on the second turn, and still with work to do into the stretch, Five Star General somehow mustered the energy to tag Clovisconnection with a late push to the wire.

A Kentucky-bred by Distorted Humor, Five Star General improved to 13-6-9 in 39 starts with earnings of $902,202. Sunday’s win was worth $82,500, and Alhadeff hinted the horse is likely to be retired.

With so many of Alhadeff’s family and friends in attendance, the traditional winner’s circle picture was taken on the racetrack, and the winning owner was jubilant.

“The Thoroughbred is about courage, beauty, strength and power, and the will to overcome the odds,” Alhadeff said. “This horse and jockey willed this win today.”

Forster, who cut his training teeth at Emerald Downs, saluted the winning horse as well.

“I’m over the moon for Five Star General,” Forster said. “He’s every trainer’s dream and has earned his place in Mile history.”

Bravo, riding the 5,673rd winner of his career, said Five Star General ran a gutsy race.

“This horse is a warrior,” he said. “He overcame everything to win today.”

Clovisconnection did everything but win the race for trainer Blaine Wright and owner/breeder William Hedrick. The 4-year-old California-bred by Vronsky shook loose early, setting fractions of :23.14, :46.05, 1:09.68 and 1:22.02, was two lengths clear past mid-stretch, and just missed the victory.

Ridden by William Antongeorgi at 124 lbs., the runner-up returned $6.36 and $4.82. His career mark is 9-2-1 in 15 starts with earnings of $350,550.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz, ridden by Jose Zunino at 124 lbs., unleashed a furious late rally inside to finish third, 1 ½ lengths behind Clovisconnection, and paid $3.44 to show. The 6-year-old Washington-bred now has a win and two thirds in the last three Miles and is 9-4-4 in 23 starts overall with $316,457 in earnings.

Prince Abu Dhabi, six wide on the first turn, was five lengths behind Slew’s Tiz Whiz in fourth place to give Wright two of the top four finishers.

Rounding out the full order of finish were Arma d’Oro, Phantom Ride, Muncey, Surpsinglyperfect, Giant Game, Dehshambeau, and Il Bellator.

Neiman was scratched earlier in the day.

Kathy Coffey, longtime Director of Customer Service at Emerald Downs and widow of Washington Hall of Fame Trainer Junior Coffey, served as honorary steward for the 89th Longacres Mile.

Aloha Breeze and jockey Carlos Montalvo

ALOHA BREEZE AWESOME IN $50,000 EMERALD DISTAFF

The major question regarding Sunday’s $50,000 Emerald Distaff was whether the talented Aloha Breeze could successfully handle a route of ground.

The answer, resoundingly, is yes.

Aloha Breeze was fast early and poured it on late for an 11-length victory over Jamies Inheritance in the 29th renewal of the track’s top event for older fillies and mares. Carlos Montalvo was the winning rider at 124 lbs. for trainer Tom Wenzel and owner George Todaro of Seattle.

For Aloha Breeze, the stakes win is her fifth at Emerald Downs and seventh in 11 starts overall with earnings of $185,010.

Breaking from the No. 2 post, Aloha Breeze blazed through fractions of :23.14, :45.70, 1:09.41 and 1:35.34 en route to a final time of 1:42.27. She owned a commanding lead throughout the race and never came back to her field.

In her only previous try around two turns, Aloha Breeze ran seventh beaten 16 lengths in last year’s Washington Oaks, but the betting public never lost faith, dispatching the 4-year-old The Factor filly as even money favorite in the Distaff. She paid $4, $3.04, and $2.42 across the board.

The winning margin broke the stakes record of 8 ¼ lengths set by Queenledo in 2006.

“She was ready to go today, “Wenzel said in the post-race interview. “We were inside and she was able to shake away. As far as getting a distance, we had her very ready today, but Carlos (Montalvo) was more confident than I was.”

Wenzel and Montalvo also combined to win the 2023 Emerald Distaff with Tiz a Macho Girl.

Jamies Inheritance, ridden by Allyssa Morales at 120 lbs., closed late to take second place for owner Richard Rennie and trainer Charles Essex. The 4-year-old Carpe Diem filly scored a $49.60 upset in the 2023 Washington Oaks.

Tizzy Twister, 5 to 2 second choice ridden by Kevin Krigger at 120 lbs., finished third while Ropers N Wranglers, Emerald Sea, Nan Elizabeth, English Meadow, Ruby Ray and Daffodil Sweet rounded out the order of finish.

NOTES: Sunday’s mutuel handle totaled $2,352,057 on an 11-race program. . .In the $0.50 All Stakes Pick Four, winning tickets paid $74.82. . .Tom Wenzel saddled three winners including two stakes and now ranks second all-time with 61 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. . .Doris Harwood, No. 1 all-time with 67 stakes wins, was part of the Longacres Mile winner’s circle mob. Before retiring at the end of the 2022 season, she trained Five Star General to a third in the 2022 Mile. . .Carlos Montalvo and Wenzel have combined for eight stakes wins the last two seasons including Aloha Breeze (Emerald Distaff) and Lapush (Washington Oaks). . .Under a rail-skimming ride by Leslie Mawing, Candy Caballo ($28.62) prevailed in a $24,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds, giving owner George Todaro his first of two wins Sunday. . .Paid in Full ($4.60) won his third straight in gate to wire fashion, becoming the eighth horse to win at least three races at the meet. . .Sunday’s third race—Mark Kaufman Memorial Purse—honored the former Longacres publicity director who died unexpectedly in 1995. Emerald Downs’ media room is named in Kaufman’s honor. . .Trainer Eliana Thompson notched her first Emerald Downs’ training win with Anniversaire d’Or ($7.28) in the nightcap. . .Live racing resumes Friday with first post 7 p.m.

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