Point Piper Prevails in $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3)

POINT PIPER PRE-ENTERS IN BC DIRT MILE

It’s time for your weekly roundup of local horses and horsemen in the news:

It looks like Emerald Downs will have a rooting interest in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

Longacres Mile champion Point Piper is pre-entered in the $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Friday, November 4. The 6-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway is among 12 runners pre-entered in the Dirt Mile, a list including four 3-year-olds led by Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Gun Runner.

Jerry Hollendorfer, trainer of Point Piper, also sends out undefeated Songbird to face Beholder and Stellar Wind in Friday’s main event—the $2,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles.

Point Piper has raced only once since The Mile, finishing fourth in the Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park, but continues to train steadily at Santa Anita, and four of his five career victories are at a mile, including his explosive track and state record 1:32.90 at Emerald Downs.

Dortmund, who was nominated and high-weighted at 126 lbs for the Longacres Mile, has apparently seen enough of California Chrome and will bypass the Breeders’ Cup Classic and also opt for the Dirt Mile, according to trainer Bob Baffert. Runhappy, winner of the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, also is being pointed to the Dirt Mile.

Entries for all 13 Breeders’ Cup races will be drawn Monday.

2016 BREEDERS’ CUP POST TIMES

Friday, November 4
2:25 PM (PDT): BC Juvenile Turf, $1,000,000
3:05 PM: BC Dirt Mile, $1,000,000
3:50 PM: BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, $1,000,000
4:35 PM: BC Distaff, $2,000,000
Note: First post 11:25 AM (PDT) with five undercard races.

Saturday, November 5
12:05 PM (PDT): BC Juvenile Fillies, $2,000,000
12:43 PM: BC Filly & Mare Turf, $2,000,000
1:21 PM: BC Filly & Mare Sprint, $1,000,000
2:05 PM: BC Turf Sprint, $1,000,000
2:43 PM: BC Juvenile, $2,000,000
3:22 PM: BC Mile, $2,000,000
4:01 PM: BC Sprint, $1,500,000
4:40 PM: BC Turf, $4,000,000
5:35 PM: BC Classic, $6,000,000
Note: First post 10:15 AM (PDT) with three undercard races.

Perhaps a Pie Wins Emerald Distaff

EMD DISTAFF CHAMP ENTERED AT GOLDEN GATE

Perhaps a Pie, last seen winning the Emerald Distaff at 20-1, makes her first start on a synthetic surface Friday in a $29,000 allowance/optional claimer at Golden Gate Fields. With Leslie Mawing named to ride for owner Jody Peetz, Perhaps a Pie is 9-2 on the morning line and the only runner entered for the $62,500 tag.

Trained by Chris Stenslie at Emerald Downs, Perhaps a Pie is trained by Larry Ross in California and appears to be training well on the Tapeta surface, drilling a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 (best of 65) and a bullet half-mile in :47 2/5 (best of 94).

In the Emerald Distaff, Perhaps a Pie led gate-to-wire in 1:47.59, earned a career best 84 Beyer and a winner’s share of $35,750 for co-owners Peetz, Stenslie and Will Brewer.

Coincidentally, the second and third-place finishers in the Emerald Distaff—Chronologic’sghost and All Star Bub—also race Friday in a $65,000 allowance at Santa Anita at 1 1/16 miles on dirt. They appear in tough, however as the Bob Baffert-trained Vale Dori—coming off a third to Stellar Wind and Beholder in a Grade 1—is 4-5 on Jon White’s morning line.

B C Z Middleton

B C Z MIDDLETON MAKES SOME NOISE IN ARIZONA

B C Z Middleton, who defeated older fillies and mares in the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes at Emerald Downs, did it again Saturday at Turf Paradise, rallying for a 1 ¾-length victory in the $30,000 Princess Of Palms Stakes at six furlongs on dirt.

Ridden by Eswan Flores for trainer Jeff Metz and owners William Burns and Rebecca Turcott, B C Z Middleton ran six furlongs in 1:10.52 and paid $5 as the betting favorite. A Kentucky-bred by Nobiz Like Shobiz, B C Z Middleton has topped $100,000 in career earnings and has come a long way since breaking her maiden for a $7,500 tag 13 months ago at Emerald Downs.

Incidentally, sophomore fillies from Emerald Downs are proving a strong group this year. Seattle Stakes winner Invested Prospect has beaten B C Z Middleton three times in 2016, including twice this fall at Golden Gate, and is 6-0-0 in seven career starts with earnings of $108,150 for trainer Blaine Wright and owners John and Janene Maryanski and Gail and Gerald Schneider.

Rocco Rides a Winner!

MISCELLANEOUS . . .

Washington-bred 3-year-old filly Stella Corona is entered in Sunday’s $353,500 Bank of America Challenge Championship Final at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., with Eulices Gomez taking the mount for trainer Roddina Barrett and owner/breeder Jeff Ray of Burbank, Wash. Stella Corona finished runner-up to stable mate Sorelli in the Emerald Downs’ Bank of America Challenge Championship on August 21. . .Indian Brut, 10th at 88-1 in the Longacres Mile, is 5-2 in a $29,000 turf sprint Friday at Golden Gate Fields. Access This, third to Barkley in a pair of stakes this year at Emerald Downs, is 8-1 in the same race while making his turf debut against older horses for trainer Blaine Wright. . .Rocco Bowen rode his first Golden Gate winner last Saturday, guiding 3-year-old filly Kelly to a $17.20 upset for trainer Dan Markle and owners Glyn Kelly and Anne MacLennan. . .Star Student, owned by Kelly, Maclennan and Fred and Cindy Desimone, aims for his second straight win Saturday in a $33,000 allowance at six furlongs Saturday at Golden Gate. Eighth in the Longacres Mile, Star Student won at the same condition last month while earning a career-high 96 Beyer. . .Also Saturday at Golden Gate, 2-year-old fillies race one mile on turf in the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer, with the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Tapped the probable favorite with Mike Smith riding. . .L Bar D Genuine Red ($3) rolled to a one-length victory in Monday’s $31,850 Far West Futurity for 2-year-old Quarter Horses at Portland Meadows. A 2-year-old Oregon-bred gelding, L Bar D Genuine Red was ridden by Kassie Guglielmino and earned $12,740 for trainer Robert Beckner and owner/breeder Hillary Dunham. . .Incidentally women riders are faring well in Portland with Eliska Kubinova leading the standings with 13 wins and Guglielmino third with 10. . . .Owner Michael Pollowitz and trainer G D Khalsa clicked with two straight winners at Portland Meadows—Gross Misconduct ($6) on Tuesday and Miss Fogcutter ($37) on October 18. . .Heza Flying Fast, three-for-three this year at Emerald Downs, heads a field of seven in Monday’s $9,500 Halloween Handicap at 870 yards for Quarter Horses at Portland Meadows.

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