Longacres Mile 2015 at Emerald Downs

Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 3 Longacres Mile comes our way this Sunday, August 16 from Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington. Horses three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Emerald Downs dirt track and go one mile searching for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A full field of 12 will take to the track in the Longacres Mile - race 8 on Emerald Downs Sunday schedule. Post time is 5:35 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all 12 combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

2015 Longacres Mile Race Favorite Entries

Stryker PHd 9/5 - local star won this race last year and was runner-up in 2013. He has been terrific the last 14 months - seven starts with five wins, a second and a third place finish. He enters on a two race win streak just like last year - the minor Mt. Rainier Handicap by six lengths in July and the minor Budweiser Handicap in June - both results on this track. Those wins followed a third in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate in November. Stryker PHd looks to make it seven straight victories on this track and is the rightful morning line favorite. Leslie Mawing will be in the saddle of the 123 pound highweight from a favorable post 7 Sunday.

Alert Bay 4/1 - multiple graded stakes winner was on fire this past fall/winter for trainer Blaine Wright when he had four straight wins including the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby, the Grade 3 BC Premier's Handicap (both results at Hastings) and the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita in December. He has stumbled a bit in his last two starts however with fourth place finishes in a pair of minor stakes races - the Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos July 2 and the Albany Stakes at Golden Gate in June. Alert Bay has eight wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 18 career starts and looks to get back to the form that saw him virtually untouchable almost a year ago. Rico Walcott has the mount on the morning line second choice from gate 8.

Longacres Mile 2015 | Remaining Contenders

Sammy Mandeville 9/2 - Doug O'Neill trained colt has 15 career starts with two wins, three seconds and a third place finish and posted a sixth last time out in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap July 25 at Del Mar. Before that was a fifth in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes May 30 and a career best effort - a second behind Catch a Flight in the Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes May 2. He finished ninth in two other graded stakes tries - one coming four starts back - April 11 in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap. Before that result was a win and a second respectively in a pair of Allowance Optional Claiming. Sammy Mandeville has placed in just one of his last four starts overall, albeit in graded stakes company and could be a factor Sunday from post 9 with Alex Solis guiding him.

Majestic City 10-1 - Richard Baltas multiple graded stakes winner has five wins, four seconds and four third place finishes in 27 career starts. He enters in sketchy form - consecutive seventh place finishes in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap July 25 and the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita June 27 followed a good win in the Grade 3 Lone Star Park Handicap May 25, an eighth in the minor Santana Mile, a fifth in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes in March and 10 months away from the track. Majestic City has placed in just one of his last six starts overall, all stakes races but could be in tough Sunday when he leaves from post 5 with Edward Maldonado aboard.

Noosito 10/1 - makes his graded stakes debut Sunday having posted five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 12 career starts. He had three minor stakes scores on this track last summer but has placed in just one of three starts this year. Last time out was a fourth in the minor Mr. Rainier Handicap here July 19 after a second behind Stryker PHd in the minor Budweiser Handicap in June and a sixth in the minor Governor's Handicap in May. Noosito looks for his first win of the year but enters in less-than-spectacular form. Jockey Juan Gutierrez hopes to change all of that from gate 2.

Fleet Eagle 10/1 - won the minor Governor's Handicap last time out - on this track for trainer Paula Capestro for his first win in over a year. Prior to that score he placed in just one of his previous six starts. Fleet Eagle now has 27 career starts with five wins, three seconds and four third place finishes and enters with some confidence which followed an unflattering stretch. He tries for a second straight win and looks to prove his win last time out wasn't a fluke - from post 3 with Diego Sanchez guiding him.

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Taylor's Deal 12/1 - four time stakes winner tries for his first graded stakes score Sunday. He won a couple of stakes races at Hastings last year during a streak of three straight victories and has looked OK in two races this year. He enters off a pair of runner-up finishes in Allowance Optional Claiming races at Hastings this summer and a fifth in a similar race in December. Taylor's Deal tries graded stakes company for the second time - the first resulted in a fourth in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby back in 2012. He now has eight wins and four seconds in 15 career - he has demonstrated some form in the past. Jockey David Lopez has been tabbed with rediscovering that form from gate 4 at 12/1 odds.

Absolutely Cool 15/1 - makes his graded stakes debut Sunday for trainer Tom Wenzel after 37 career starts produced eight wins, ten seconds and 10 third place finishes. He has looked good lately placing in four of his last five starts including a win in the minor Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap at Turf Paradise in February (a race he won in 2014 as well). He enters off a respectable second behind Stryker PHd in the minor Mt. Rainier Handicap July 19, a third in the minor Budweiser Handicap June 14 and a fourth in the minor Governor's Handicap in May - improving every time out. Absolutely Cool has been decent on this track and could be a factor at 15/1 - from gate 6 with Rocco Bowen in the irons.

Prohibition 20/1 - finished seventh in this race last year and hasn't looked great since. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming here June 27 after a fifth in the minor Budweiser Handicap June 14 and a fourth in an Allowance here in April. Prohibition has failed to place in his last six starts overall - not a whole lot is expected when he leaves from gate 10 with Tiago Periera guiding him.

Solemnly Swear 20/1 - makes his graded stakes debut and first start of 2015 this weekend having posted four wins, a second and a third place finish in 11 career starts. He did win three of his last five starts in 2014 but ended last year's campaign with a fourth in the minor Richmond Derby Trial Handicap at Hastings last August. He looks to place in stakes company for the first time Sunday from post 11 with Joseph Steiner in the saddle.

Modern 20/1 - has been very good the last 12 months - seven starts with three wins, three seconds and a third place finish. He enters off consecutive runner-up finishes at Hastings - the minor Redekop Classic August 3 and the Lieutenant Governors' Handicap in July which followed a good win on that same track in the minor Sir Winston Churchill Handicap in June. Modern has been a factor in every race this year and is an intriguing 20/1 this week. Richard Hamel rides from an unfavorable outside post 12.

Del Rio Harbor 30/1 - won the 2014 Coca-Cola Handicap on this track last June and has been up and down since. He did finish third in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby at Hastings last September but went on to an eighth and a ninth place finish in minor stakes action on this track after that. Last time out he looked a little better - a third in the minor Mt. Rainier Handicap here July 19 after a second in an Allowance also on this track July 4. Jockey Julien Couton will be in control of the longest shot in the field from the rail.