Anyportinastorm and Five Star General , second in separate editions in the Longacres Mile Handicap (G3) the last two years, are back in search of the top prize when the $100,000 race is renewed Aug. 15 at Emerald Downs.
Papa's Golden Boy, the dominant handicap horse this year at Emerald, and Background, a Midwest shipper with 2021 earnings of more than $150,000, are other top contenders in this year's Mile, which goes as race eight on a 10-race card that begins at 2:30 p.m. PT.
Anyportinastorm and Five Star General, owned by Vancouverites Peter Redekop and Glen Todd's North American Thoroughbred Racing, respectively, carry high weight of 123 and 122 pounds
Five Star General is the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2. A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Distorted Humor, Five Star General finished second to Anothertwistafate in 2020 and has performed sharply this year with two wins and a third at Hastings Racecourse and gets the riding services of two-time Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and two-time Longacres Mile winner Mario Gutierrez.
Anyportinastorm, a 7-year-old City Zip horse based in California with Peter Miller, is no stranger to Emerald Downs, capturing 2019 Horse of the Meeting honors and missing by a head to Law Abidin Citizen in the 2019 Mile. The 3-1 second choice on the morning line, Anyportinastorm is ridden by three-time Longacres Mile winner Juan Gutierrez.
Papa's Golden Boy and Background both carry 121 pounds and are projected odds of 9-2 and 5-1, respectively.
Trained by Vince Gibson and owned by Gary, Deborah, Jeff, and Peyton Lusk of Puyallup, Papa's Golden Boy is among the fastest sprinters in Emerald Downs history. Papa's Golden Boy is 3-for-3 this season and posted meet-fastest times scoring blowouts in the 5 1/2-furlong Budweiser Stakes (1:02.11) and 6 1/2-furlong Governor's Stakes (1:14.50). A 5-year-old Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Papa's Golden Boy bids to become the first Washington-bred since Stryker Phd in 2015 to win the Mile.
Papa's Golden Boy drew the No. 1 post-position with regular rider Julien Couton taking the mount. According to Gibson, the game plan is no secret.
"He drew the No. 1 (post) in his last two races, so this is perfect for him," Gibson said. "Being inside, we pretty much have to send him out of there, but that would have been the plan wherever he drew. I've trained him harder for this one and he's ready to go. Any horse that tries to put heat on us (early) is in trouble."
Background scored a pair of allowance victories this spring at the tough Oaklawn Park meeting and leads the field in 2021 earnings with $153,536. Three-time Emerald Downs riding champion Rocco Bowen returns and takes the mount for trainer Mike Puhich and owners Bob and Molly Rondeau's Giddyup Stables.
Background dropped a heartbreaker in his most recent start June 26, missing by a head to Guest Suite in the $100,000 Hanshin Cup at Arlington International Racecourse, and completed preparation for the Mile with a six-furlong breeze in 1:12 2/5 at the Pegasus Training Center in Redmond.
Seamist Racing's Windribbon, 10-1 on the line, could give trainer Blaine Wright a second straight Mile victory.
Other entrants in the 11-horse field for 3-year-olds and up include Forest Fire, Hard to Deny, Unmachable, Sir Bregovic, Reelfoot, and Muncey.
Emerald Downs, Sunday, August 15, 2021, Race 8Entries: Longacres Mile H. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Papa's Golden Boy (WA) Julien Couton 121 Vince Gibson 9/2 2 2Forest Fire (PA) Erick Lopez 117 Candice S. Cryderman 12/1 3 3Windribbon (CA) Kevin E. Orozco 119 Blaine D. Wright 10/1 4 4Hard to Deny (KY) Alex M. Cruz 118 Chris Stenslie 15/1 5 5Anyportinastorm (FL) Juan M. Gutierrez 123 Peter Miller 3/1 6 6Muncey (KY) Jennifer Whitaker 116 Howard Belvoir 30/1 7 7Background (FL) Rocco Bowen 121 Michael Puhich 5/1 8 8Five Star General (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Sandi Gann 5/2 9 9Unmachable (WA) Javier Matias 119 Jack McCartney 15/1 10 10Sir Bregovic (BC) Leslie Mawing 118 Jack McCartney 20/1 11 11Reelfoot (KY) Jose Luis Zunino 112 Edwin C. Cornier 30/1
