Emerald: Stryker Phd 9-5 to repeat in Longacres Mile

AUBURN, Wash. – After entries for the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile were drawn Thursday, Emerald Downs linemaker Rob Rao installed Stryker Phd the 9-5 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s main event. The late-running Stryker Phd has earned his lofty standing, and then some, winning six consecutive stakes races at Emerald Downs, including the 2014 Longacres Mile and, in his most recent start, the 1-1/16-mile Mt. Rainier Handicap in a six-length romp.

The starting high weight at 123 pounds Sunday, Stryker Phd and regular rider Leslie Mawing will break from post seven in race that attracted a full field of 12. The seventh event on Sunday’s program, the Longacres Mile has a scheduled post time of 5:25 p.m. Pacific.

Alert Bay and Sammy Mandeville are next on the morning line at 4-1 and 9-2, respectively. Alert Bay is 0-for-2 this year but had a monster 2014, winning six stakes races in California, British Columbia, and New Mexico. Sammy Mandeville earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 101 for his third-place effort in the Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes at Santa Anita in May. Rico Wolcott, the leading jockey at Northlands Park, has signed on to ride Alert Bay. Alex Solis will handle Sammy Mandeville.

The complete Longacres Mile field, from the rail out, with jockey and morning line odds: 1. Del Rio Harbor (Julien Couton, 30-1); 2. Noosito (Juan Gutierrez, 10-1); 3. Fleet Eagle (Diego Sanchez, 10-1); 4. Taylors Deal (David Lopez, 12-1); 5. Majestic City (Edwin Maldonado, 10-1); 6. Absolutely Cool (Rocco Bowen, 15-1); 7. Stryker Phd (Leslie Mawing, 9-5); 8. Alert Bay (Rico Walcott, 4-1); 9. Sammy Mandeville (Alex Solis, 9-2); 10. Prohibition (Tiago Periera, 20-1); 11. Solemnly Swear (Joe Steiner, 20-1); 12. Modern (Richard Hamel, 20-1).