Background bids for repeat in Longacres Mile

Background will try to win the $150,000 Longacres Mile for the second year in a row Sunday at Emerald Downs. The most prestigious race in the Pacific Northwest drew a full field of 12 older runners. It headlines a strong card that includes the $75,000 Muckleshoot Derby, $75,000 Emerald Distaff, and $75,000 Washington Oaks.

Under the allowance conditions of the race, Background will carry high weight of 124 pounds. As a handicap last year, he packed 121 pounds.

With Rocco Bowen riding for trainer Mike Puhich, Background came from a stalking position to nail Windribbon at the wire in last year’s Mile. He paid $6.60 as the lukewarm favorite and will likely go off at a similar price Sunday.

With Bowen unable to ride due to injuries suffered in a Monday spill at Presque Isle Downs, Geovanni Franco will be aboard Background when he breaks from post 4.

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Background is coming off a fifth-place finish in a conditioned allowance race that carried a $150,000 claiming option June 25 at Churchill Downs. The winner, Fulsome, went over the $1 million mark in earnings when he won the Grade 3 West Virginia Governor’s on Aug. 6 at Mountaineer. In his previous start, Background beat Grade 3 winner Pirate’s Punch in a conditioned allowance race that was washed off the turf May 26 at Churchill. He was ridden by Franco in both races.

Puhich likes the way the 5-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Khozan is coming into the race.

“He runs well fresh, and Rocco loved the way he breezed five furlongs last week,” Puhich said Tuesday. “If he is as good on Sunday as he is this morning, he’s going to be a tough customer.”

The Neil Drysdale-trained Majestic Eagle is the top money earner in the field with $468,641. However, most of it was earned from his four wins on turf, which include a victory going a mile in the Grade 3 American at Santa Anita in 2019.

A 7-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Medaglia d’Oro, Majestic Eagle was the runner-up coming down the hill at Santa Anita in the Grade 3 Daytona on May 29 and had a rough trip when he finished third June 19 in the American in his latest start.

His best race in three tries on dirt was a fifth-place finish going seven furlongs in the Grade 2 Triple Bend at Santa Anita in 2019.

Majestic Eagle has been working nicely over the main track at Del Mar and could be dangerous from a stalking position with Declan Cannon riding.

Trainer Blaine Wright is pleased with the way Top Executive is coming up to the race. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Street Boss was the top sophomore at Emerald last year and closed his season with a win in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby.

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Top Executive is coming off a runner-up finish behind Papa’s Golden Boy going six furlongs June 26 in the $50,000 Budweiser.

“We have been pointing him to this race all year,” Wright said. “We skipped the Governor’s and he’s had two good works, so he is ready to go.”

Top Executive, who has tactical speed, should get a nice trip from a forward position with Evin Roman riding.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz is peaking at the right time for trainer Tom Wenzel, and he has the right running style for a race that should unfold at a brisk clip.

The 4-year-old son of Slew’s Tiznow came from well back to win the $50,000 Budweiser going 6 1/2 furlongs on July 24, and he won his only try at the one-mile distance. He also rallied late to finish third in the Muckleshoot Derby in his only other try going around two turns.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz should get a cozy trip leaving from the inside post with Jose Zunino retaining the mount.

Doris Harwood, Emerald’s all-time leading trainer in stakes wins, is looking for a big effort from Five Star General, who finished second to the Wright-trained Anothertwistafate in the 2020 Mile and third in 2021. With a better trip, he may have got up in time last year.

Five Star General finished fourth in the Governor’s in his last start.

Papa’s Golden Boy, trained by Vince Gibson, is the one they will have to run down. He was impressive taking them all the way in the Budweiser in his second start this year, but after dueling with Windribbon through wicked fractions in the Governor’s, he could not fend off the late surge by Slew’s Tiz Whiz. In last year’s Mile, he finished fourth after being pressured through quick interior fractions.