Local legend may take a back seat at Longacres Mile

Published 8:30 pm Friday, August 12, 2016

By Doug Parry

Special to The Herald

AUBURN — After back-to-back Longacres Mile victories, Stryker Phd may be a local legend, but he won’t be the betting favorite on Sunday at Emerald Downs.

That distinction likely will go to O B Harbor, who heads a field of 11 set to line up in the 81st running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile, the Northwest’s richest horse race.

A 4-year-old Oregon-bred gelding by Harbor the Gold, O B Harbor has been untouchable in four races this year. He’s notched dominating front-running scores in all three stakes races for older horses at Emerald Downs, showing an ability to set a blistering pace and keep enough in the tank for the stretch. The 3-1 morning-line favorite, he will break from post position 4 with jockey Jose Zunino aboard.

“For this to be my first graded-stakes, it’s pretty exciting,” owner Jody Peetz of Issaquah said. “I’ve always been pretty envious of others around this time of year, but now that I get to be part of The Mile, it’s really cool. I’m just trying to enjoy the ride.”

O B Harbor’s top competition might come from Alert Bay, who has won stakes races at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita Park in California since his third-place finish in last year’s Longacres Mile. The most accomplished horse in the field with earnings of $1.1 million, he’ll break from post 5 with Southern California-based jockey Tyler Baze in town to ride.

Now age 7, Stryker Phd has employed his usual late-running tactics in two races this year, but hasn’t been able to make up the gap on O B Harbor, finishing third in June’s Budweiser Stakes and fourth in last month’s Mount Rainier Stakes. He drew the 1 hole for his bid for an unprecedented third Longacres Mile victory. A win would make him the richest horse in Emerald Downs’ 20-year history.

“I think he’s coming into this race really well,” trainer Larry Ross said. “He’s just a year older. The (fourth in the Mount Rainier) was just a mystery. He came out sound, healthy and happy. You have to give a horse (a mulligan) every once in a while. It’s hard for a horse to perform like he has over the past three years — almost flawless.”

The field for the Mile, from the rail out, with jockey, handicap weight and morning-line odds: 1-Stryker Phd, Leslie Mawing, 121, 5-1; 2-Dedicated to You, Eswan Flores, 116, 20-1; 3-Star Student, Amadeo Perez, 116, 20-1; 4-O B Harbor, Jose Zunino, 123, 3-1; 5-Alert Bay, Tyler Baze, 123, 7-2; 6-Sammy Mandeville, Rocco Bowen, 116, 12-1; 7-Cyrus Alexander, Norberto Arroyo Jr., 119, 6-1; 8-Point Piper, Mario Gutierrez, 118, 4-1; 9-Sabado Alegre (CHI), Juan Gutierrez, 116, 30-1; 10-Prime Engine, Isaias Enriquez, 117, 15-1; 11-Indian Brut, Erick Lopez, 114, 30-1.

Notes: The Mile will go as the eighth race on Sunday, at approximately 5:51 p.m. It’s the highlight of a 10-race card that also includes the Emerald Distaff, the top race of the meet for fillies and mares. First race is at 2 p.m. … 20th anniversary Emerald Downs drinking glasses will be given to the first 5,000 paid attendees. … Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg will be on track to promote and sign his book, “Jack, From Grit to Glory.”

Parry’s Picks

Longacres Mile selections by The Herald’s resident horse racing expert, Doug Parry:

• O B Harbor (3-1): With no obvious threat to deny him the early lead, he should go to the front and never look back.

• Sammy Mandeville (12-1) showed an affinity for Auburn in a second-place finish in last year’s Mile.

• Alert Bay (7-2) always gives an honest effort and seems sure to hit the board.

• Stryker Phd (5-1) will be the fan favorite, but he’s lost a step.