Papa’s Golden Boy faces stiff competition at Longacres Mile

By Doug Parry / Special to The Herald

AUBURN — Papa’s Golden Boy is the dominant older horse at Emerald Downs this year, winning three straight races in rocket-fast times, but that’s not enough to scare away the competition in Sunday’s Longacres Mile.

The 5-year-old gelding will face a slew of doubts and a host of challengers in the 86th edition of the Mile, the annual jewel of Northwest horse racing. The $100,000 race attracted an 11-horse field that includes horses shipping in from California, British Columbia, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Papa’s Golden Boy has been unchallenged in his three victories this season, including two in stakes races, all at distances between 5½ and 6½ furlongs. In each race, he has cruised to an early lead under jockey Julien Couton and put away the competition in quick time, including a remarkably fast 1:14 2/5 clocking at 6½ furlongs. But he is unproven at longer distances, fading badly after setting the pace in two attempts at a mile and beyond last year.

As a result, Papa’s Golden Boy is a lukewarm 9-2 on the morning line and is not the early favorite. Instead, that designation goes to Five Star General at 5-2 odds. The 5-year-old, who drew the No. 8 post position, has won two of three starts at Hastings Park in Vancouver, B.C., this year after finishing second in last year’s Mile at Emerald Downs. Southern California-based jockey Mario Gutierrez, who has won two previous Miles, will try to make it three aboard Five Star General.

Anyportinastorm, who finished second in a photo finish in the 2019 Longacres Mile, returns from California to contest this year’s edition for owner Peter Redekop of British Columbia. At 3-1 on the morning line, the 7-year-old Anyportinastorm is the most accomplished runner in the field with more than $365,000 in career earnings and multiple stakes victories on his resume. He will break from post No. 5 for leading California trainer Peter Miller and local jockey Juan Gutierrez.

Background may be peaking at the right time for trainer Mike Puhich and owners Bob and Molly Rondeau. The 4-year-old gelding ships in from Arlington Park in Chicago after a narrow defeat in a $100,000 stakes race there, and he won a $106,000 allowance race at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas in the spring. Former Emerald Downs leading rider Rocco Bowen will return to take the mount from post No. 7.

For Bob Rondeau, the longtime voice of University of Washington football and basketball, it’s his first starter in the Mile after being involved in horse racing as an owner for more than 35 years. “It’s an absolute thrill to get to run in the Longacres Mile,” he said.

Other newcomers to Emerald Downs include Forest Fire, recently purchased in Pennsylvania by local owners, and Sir Bregovic, winner of four straight against lesser competition this year at Hastings Park. Several locally based long shots fill out the field.

Papa’s Golden Boy’s local connections will hope he can turn them all away and prove he’s not just a sprint specialist. Whether he can hang on for a mile may be in doubt, but one thing is virtually certain: If he breaks cleanly from his No. 1 post, the others are going to have to try to catch him.

“Any horse that tries to put heat on us (early) is in trouble,” trainer Vince Gibson said.

The field for the Grade III Longacres Mile, with post positions, jockeys and weight assignments: 1. Papa’s Golden Boy (Julien Couton, 121), 2. Forest Fire (Erick Lopez, 117), 3. Windribbon (Kevin Orozco, 119), 4. Hard to Deny (Alex Cruz, 118), 5. Anyportinastorm (Juan Gutierrez, 123), 6. Muncey (Jennifer Whitaker, 116), 7. Background (Rocco Bowen, 121), 8. Five Star General (Mario Gutierrez, 122), 9. Unmachable (Javier Matias, 119), 10. Sir Bregovic (Leslie Mawing, 118), 11. Reelfoot (Jose Zunino, 112).

The Mile will be run at approximately 5:51 p.m. as the eighth of 10 races on Sunday’s card, which begins at 2:30 p.m. and also features the $50,000 Emerald Distaff for fillies and mares. Tickets are available at emeralddowns.com.