5 Star Common Seeks Repeat in Longacres Mile

Twelve older horses led by defending champion 5 Star Common and 2022 winner Slew’s Tiz Whiz sq. off in Sunday’s 89th operating of the $150,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

Along with the Mile, entries had been drawn for the $50,000 Emerald Distaff, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby, and $50,000 Washington Oaks—with 42 entries in 4 races—and people stakes compose a particular Championship Sunday all stakes $0.50 Choose 4 on races 6-9.

First submit is 2 p.m., with the Mile carded as race 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Fourteen horses entered the Mile with Papa’s Golden Boy and Canadian shipper Apprehend excluded based mostly on complete earnings in 2023 and 2024.

The highest 4 finishers from final 12 months’s race—5 Star Common, Il Bellator, Slew’s Tiz Whiz, Arma d’Oro—all return for 2024.

5 Star Common is the 5/2 morning line favourite, adopted by Slew’s Tiz Whiz, 4/1, Clovisconnection, 9/2, and Arma d’Oro, 8/1.

Owned by Ken Alhadeff and skilled by Grant Forster, the exceptional 5 Star Common bids to turn out to be solely the fifth two-time winner of the historic race. The 8-year-old full horse by Distorted Humor already has completed prime three in a document 4 straight Miles, and with a victory joins Superior Gem (2011) and Gigantic (1959) as 8-year-olds to win the Mile.

Since his win right here final 12 months, 5 Star Common has continued his trek as one thing of a world traveler, successful $100,000 races in Louisiana and Kentucky and has an total ledger of 12-6-9 in 38 begins with $819,702 in earnings. His 97 Beyer within the Michael Schaefer Memorial final month at Horseshoe Indianapolis is tops on this 12 months’s race.

5 Star Common drew the No. 9 post-position which has produced simply three wins from 40 starters in races at a flat mile the final six years at Emerald Downs. Along with his velocity and flexibility, and the expertise of jockey Joe Bravo, 5 Star Common ought to have the ability to work out a visit.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz enters the race in peak type. The 6-year-old Tom Wenzel trainee comes off a dead-heat victory within the Governor’s Stakes–his third straight win within the 6 ½ furlong lead-in to the Longacres Mile. The lone Washington-bred on this 12 months’s race, Slew’s Tiz Whiz used his patented closing kick to attain by 2 ¾ lengths within the 2022 Mile and rallied from far again for third final 12 months. This 12 months marks one thing of a tiebreaker between 5 Star Common and Slew’s Tiz Whiz—they every have a win and a 3rd the final two years.

Owned by Slew’s Crew Racing and ridden by Jose Zunino, Slew’s Tiz Whiz has made all 22 profession begins at Emerald Downs with a 9-4-3 mark and $298,457 in earnings.

Clovisconnection has among the finest win percentages within the race. The 4-year-old California-bred is 9-14 lifetime with 5 stakes wins together with a 2 for two document at Emerald Downs. The speedy Vronsky gelding has but to barter two activates grime however led gate to wire within the Robert Dupret Derby at 1 1/6 miles on turf at Santa Rosa and completed a detailed second within the Silky Sullivan at one mile on turf at Golden Gate. Clovisconnection enters the Mile off two current dash wins together with the Oak Tree Dash at Pleasanton.

Along with Clovisconnection, coach Blaine Wright saddles Prince Abu Dhabi, additionally a 4-year-old, with a 6 for 11 life mark together with final 12 months’s Muckleshoot Derby at Emerald Downs.

Coach Justin Evans figures to be the busiest man on the grounds earlier than the Mile. The meet’s main coach in wins (45) and win share (35.1), Evans entered 4 within the race—Arma d’Oro, Neiman, Big Sport, and Surprsinglyperfect.

Arma d’Oro and Neiman have been main components within the native older horse division. Claimed for $25,000 two races again, 6-year-old Arma d’Oro has paid fast dividends for Evans and Rakoczy Racing with two straight wins, one being the meet’s quickest mile (1:34.03) and the opposite a dead-heat with Slew’s Tiz Whiz within the Governor’s Stakes.

Neiman figures to blast off from the No. 1 submit on the stretch-out. The 4-year-old Munnings gelding ran the quickest six furlongs of the meet, 1:07.98, whereas scoring a $39.86 upset within the Budweiser Stakes, and overwhelmed just one 3/4 lengths ending third after outdueling Papa’s Golden Boy within the Governor’s.

A current non-public buy, Big Sport comes off a seventh to The Chosen Vron within the Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar and has a resume that features a win the Grade 3 Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows in 2023. Surprsinglyperfect, the grey beard on this 12 months’s Mile at age 10, has 4 wins the present meet and 21 wins lifetime together with 12 on the mile distance. Sunday marks a steep step up in school.

Il Bellator, a strong second to 5 Star Common final 12 months, comes off a fifth within the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile following a victory in a one-mile optionally available claimer on artificial at Golden Gate.

Phantom Trip is a current $62,500 declare with three route wins on his 2024 ledger. Deshambeau completed runner-up to Prince Abu Dhabi within the 2023 Muckleshoot Derby whereas Muncey is conditioned by three-time Longacres Mile successful coach Howard Belvoir.

Sunday’s forecast requires principally sunny situations with a excessive of 80 levels.

Kathy Coffey, widow of the late Junior Coffey, serves as Honorary Steward of the 2024 Longacres Mile. Junior Coffey was enshrined posthumously into the Washington Racing Corridor of Fame in a ceremony earlier than Saturday’s races.

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