For the Reporter
Pending late mail, 23 horses have been nominated to the 80th running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile on Sunday, Aug. 16.
The 80th running of the Grade 3 race will match top middle-distance horses at the one-mile distance, featuring many of the sport’s elite jockeys and trainers taking on the best Emerald Downs has to offer.
No less than nine graded stakes winners are nominated to this year’s renewal, led by Bayern, winner of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Grade 1); Sahara Sky, winner of the 2013 Metropolitan Handicap (G1), and Warren’s Veneda, winner of the 2015 Santa Margarita (G1).
Conditioned by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Bayern held off Toast of New York by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and is 6-for-13 with lifetime earnings of $4,418,680. Warren’s Veneda, a 5-year-old California-bred mare, has earned over $900,000 in a 26-race career and would become the first filly or mare to start in The Mile since Have Faith in 1966.
Stryker Phd – bidding to become the first two-time Longacres Mile winner at Emerald Downs – carries top local hopes for trainer Larry Ross and owners Jim and Mona Hour. The 6-year-old Bertrando gelding carries a six-race winning streak into The Mile, and appears in peak form following after a six-length rout in the Mt. Rainier Handicap last month. In last year’s Mile, Stryker Phd rallied from last for a half-length victory in 1:33.67.
Other graded winners nominated are Alert Bay, Big Cazanova (ARG), G.G. Ryder, Majestic City and Mr. Bowling.
Alert Bay enjoyed a tremendous 2014 campaign for trainer Blaine Wright, winning six stakes and earning $596,407 for Peter Redekop of Vancouver, B.C. A 4-year-old City Zip gelding, Alert Bay has won graded stakes on turf and dirt, including three stakes wins Santa Anita.
Southern California trainer Peter Miller nominated Appealing Tale and Big Cazanova. A 5-year-old Tale of the Cat gelding, Appealing Tale dropped a head decision to Catch a Flight in last week’s San Diego Handicap (G2) at Del Mar, while Big Cazanova, a 6-year-old Argentine-bred, has faced many of Southern California’s top older horses and registered a 3¼-length victory in the Native Diver (G3) last fall at Del Mar.
Majestic City and Sammy Mandeville also have competed in top events in California. Majestic City shipped to Dallas for a front-running victory in the Lone Star Park Handicap (G3)and Sammy Mandeville is multiple graded stakes-placed, including a second in the Precisionist (G3) at Santa Anita.
In addition to Sahara Sky, Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer nominated G.G. Ryder and Southern Freedom. Co-owned by Hollendorfer and George Todaro, G.G. Ryder is 10-for-21 lifetime and is a graded winner on turf and synthetic.
Handicap weights for the Longacres Mile will be announced Saturday, August 8, with entries drawn Wednesday, August 12. If more than 12 horses enter, high weights are preferred.
Also Sunday, Aug. 16, older fillies and mares compete in the $65,000 Emerald Distaff at 1 1/8 miles.
2015 Longacres Mile Nominations
Facts and figures:
• Nine graded stakes winners nominated: Alert Bay (G2), Bayern (G1), Big Cazanova (G3), G.G. Ryder (G3), Majestic City (G3), Mr. Bowling (G3), Sahara Sky (G1), Stryker Phd (G3), Warren’s Veneda (G1).
• Kentucky-breds lead in nominations: Kentucky 11 Washington 4 California 4, Florida 1, New York 1, Argentina 1, British Columbia 1.
• 4-year-olds top nominations: 4-year-olds-8; 6-year-olds-7;5-year-olds-6; 7-year-olds-1; 8-year-olds-1.
• Last start at: Emerald Downs 8, Del Mar 8, Hastings 4, Los Alamitos 1, Golden Gate 1, Sacramento 1.
• Four horses also nominated last year: Mr. Bowling, Prohibition, Scat Daddybaby, Stryker Phd.
• Six Longacres Mile-winning trainers nominated horses: Mike Puhich, Doug O’Neill, Larry Ross, Jerry Hollendorfer, Bob Baffert, Doris Harwood.
$200,000 Longacres Mile (G3)
Sunday, Aug. 16
Horse … owner … trainer
Absolutely Cool (8g-WA) Karl Krieg, Tom Wenzel
Alert Bay (4g-CAL) Peter Redekop B.C., Ltd., Blaine Wright
Appealing Tale (5g-KY) Gary and Cecil Barber, Peter Miller
Atomic Rule (5g-CAL) Charlie Dunn, Gordy Jarnig & Ray McCanna, Tim McCanna
Bayern (4c-KY) Kaleem Shah, Inc., Bob Baffert
Big Cazanova (6r-ARG) Wachtel Stable, G Barber, Brous & Dona Licha, Peter Miller
Botch (5g-KY) Luigi DiPietro & Diana DiPietro, Blaine Wright
Del Rio Harbor (4g-WA) Desert Rose Racing & Bar C Racing Stables, Marshall Allen
Fleet Eagle (6h-KY) Paula Capestro & Oak Knoll Meadow Farm, Paula Capestro
G.G. Ryder (4c-CAL) Jerry Hollendorfer & George Todaro, Jerry Hollendorfer
Majestic City (6h-KY) Bloom Racing Stable LLC (Jeffrey Bloom), Richard Baltas
Modern (5g-KY) Swift Thoroughbreds, Inc., Dino Condilenios
Mr. Bowling (6h-KY) M. Dedomenico & N American Tbred, Mike Puhich
Noosito (4c-WA) Last Rose Stable, Doris Harwood
Prohibition (6g-NY) Vann & Sauci Belvoir, Vann Belvoir
Sahara Sky (7h-FLA) Jerry Hollendorfer & Sweetwater Stable, Jerry Hollendorfer
Sammy Mandeville (4c-KY) W.C. Racing, Doug O’Neill
Scat Daddybaby (5-KY) Mike & Amy Feuerborn, Robbie Baze
Solemnly Swear (4c-KY) M. Dedomenico & N American Tbred, Mike Puhich
Southern Freedom (4c-KY) Dang, Dedomenico, Todaro, Hollendorfer, Jerry Hollendorfer
Stryker Phd (6g-WA) Jim & Mona Hour, Larry Ross
Taylors Deal (6g-BC) North American Thoroughbred Racing,, Mike Puhich
Warren’s Veneda (5m-CAL) Benjamin C. Warren Craig Lewis
