Five Star General could be peaking for Longacres Mile

Five Star General appears to be peaking at the right time for owner-trainer Glen Todd. Last year, Five Star General finished second behind Anothertwistafate in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile. Todd hopes the 5-year-old horse by Distorted Humor can one up himself when he runs in the premier race in the Northwest on Aug. 15.

“He just ran the best race of his life, so he is on full tilt right now,” Todd said.

Todd is correct in his assessment. The 88 Beyer Speed Figure that Five Star General received for his easy front-running win in a $28,200 open allowance race on July 13 at Hastings is a career best. He followed up his 6 1/4-length win over Synergy in the 1 1/16-mile race with a bullet four-furlong move in 47.00 seconds on July 25 at Emerald Downs.

With the border closed, Todd was not on hand to see the work. Sandi Gann is his trainer at Emerald.

“Sandi said he did it easily,” Todd said. “It’s all systems go.”

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Todd said two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez would ride Five Star General in the Mile. Gutierrez was aboard Five Star General when he won the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby and the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial at Hastings in 2019. He also rode Five Star General in the Mile last year.

Todd is pointing Princess of Cairo to the $50,000 Emerald Distaff. The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares also is on Aug. 15.

In her only start at Emerald, Princess of Cairo won the $50,000 Washington Oaks last year. The 4-year-old daughter of Cairo Prince is coming off a third-place finish going 1 1/16 miles in a $27,000 open allowance race on July 13 at Hastings. She signaled her readiness with a bullet four-furlong move in 46.00 on Monday at Emerald.

“She just seems to love the surface there,” Todd said. “I am looking forward to running both of them.”◗ The Kay Cooper-trained Nationheart figures to be a short price in a $25,000 claimer for nonwinners of two that will serve as the Sunday feature at Emerald. The six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up drew five horses and goes as the ninth race. The 10-race card begins with a couple of Quarter Horse races that are preps for the $30,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge on Aug. 22.