8/15/2025

(Aubrun, WA) Wednesday afternoon racing officials conducted the draws for post positions for the 6 Stakes races set to run on Sunday. The card will be 11 races with the final 6 all stakes.

For bettors, that means there will be an all stakes pick 4, pick 5 and pick 6.

The draw took place during a luncheon-press conference in the Emerald Room at Emerald Downs. Racing Director Bret Anderson handled the draw while Emerald Publicity Director Joe Withee and Media Director Vince Bruun  hosted the event.

Before the formal draw began, attendees watched former Longacres Mile races on the video screens and Joe Withee talked about the history and some of the contenders. He then brought up Emerald Downs’ all time winninest jockey, Juan Gutierrez who also has 3 Longacres Mile wins. Second only to Gary Baze. Withee talked with Gutierrez and we have the interview here:

Joe Withee talks with Juan Gutierrez

Longacres Mile Headlines Championship Sunday

The 90th running of the historic Longacres Mile has shaped up to be a great one. Horses with speed will be met by some of the best closers as the $125,000 purse will be contested as the 9th race of the day. There is a brief overview of each runner. The other 5 Stakes races will be listed with starters, jockeys and connections along with the morning line.

Our in-house handicapper “Larry the SportsCat” will also make his predictions for each race with his top 4 selections.

The draw was held and Bearings was the first to be drawn and they drew the 9 post position. The final draw and post postions, riders, connections and morning line odds are as follows:

Brief overview of each Longacres Mile Starter in oirder of morning line odds:

Slew’s Tiz Whiz is the morning line favorite at 9-5 and comes in off a sparkling run in the Governor’s Stakes on July 20th. Slew’s lifetime record is 11-6-4 from 27 starts and has earned $373,472 for his career. The Washington bred by Slew’s Tiznow has run in 3 straight Longacres Mile’s winning it in 2022 running by Papa’s Golden Boy and well ahead of Five Star General. He has finished 3rd in the last two mile runs.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz was bred and owned by Karl Krieg and trained by Tom Wenzel. After his passing Wenzel and others joined in and purchased Slew from Darlene Krieg and Wenzel still trains Slew.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz had a regular rider in Jose Zunino who rode him 21 straight races from July 8, 2021 to August 31, 2024. Julien Couton tookover in 2025 and has 2 wins including the Governor’s Stakes a 2nd in the Budweiser and a win in an allowance race this year. Couton has figured out Slew pretty quickly and will no doubt will get plenty of local support.

Arrowthegreat ships in from Del Mar and is the 2nd choice at 5-2. Arrowthegreat specializes in the 1 mile distance with a 3-3-1 lifetime record the one trip around from 7 starts. His lifetime record  is 3-6-1 from 17 races so most of his success is at the distance. He will break from the 1 post.

Manny Americano gets the ride for trainer Dan Blacker and owners Double L Racing Radley Equine Inc. The 5-year-old gelding has earned $210,940.

Clovisconnection is 5-1 morning line and will get Emerald Downs leading rider so far in 2025 Kevin Krigger. Clovisconnection just missed holding off Five Star General in last year’s mile losing by a nose. Clovisconnection began his season with a 3/4 length win in the Budweiser Stakes on June 22nd with David Haldar riding. Haldar then rode Clovis in the Governor’s but came up a bit flat in the stretch and finished 5th.

Clovisconnection can go to the lead but showed in the Budweiser can also stalk and come from just off the pace. The 5-year-old Cal bred is owned by William Hedrick and trained by Blaine Wright and comes in with a 21-12-3-1 career mark earning just shy of 500k.

Apprehend will get the dreaded outside #10 post in the short run to the 1st turn. Apprehend ships in from Canada and will bring regular rider Amadeo Perez down to ride. Apprehend has shown speed but generally sits just off the front pace to make his move. This will be decision time for Perez, can he sit just off and not lose too much ground or will he need to step on the gas to get positioned over on the 1st turn. Apprehend is currently on a 5 race win streak going back to July of 2024.

The 6-year-old Kentucky bred is the 4th choice of the morning line at 8-1. Peter Redekop is the owner and trained by Barbara Heads. His career mark is 15-8-3-0 with career earnings of $317,062.

What A Dude with Juan Gutierrez taking the ride for owner/trainer Miguel Hernandez is 10-1 morning line. The 6-year-old son of Hard Spun was an unlikley Mile participant in 2024 when Hernandez claimed him out of an $8,500 claimer. Hernandez saw something more in this guy as he has climbed the claiming ladder at Turf Paradise and Emerald Downs. What A Dude has posted 3 straight dominant wins all with Gutierrez on board and has the fastest 1-mile and 1-mile and 70 yards times of the season. He is a stalker but Gutierrez will look to make their move on the far turn trying to get that first run.

What A Dude has traveled the country beginning his career at Saratoga in 2022 with stops at Kentucky Downs, Aqueduct, Santa Anita, Del Mar then Turf Paradise and now in Auburn. He gets the garden spot, gate 2 and should be able to get the position he wants. Can he bring that speed he showed this season to the big time is the question? His career record is 29-8-4-4.

Masen is another shipper from Vancouver BC where he is coming off a win in an allowance race following a pair of 3rd place finishes. The 7-year-old English bred has some big credentials from earlier in his career. He began in Ireland won 3 of 6 to before shipping to the US. He won a Grade 3 stake at Belmont and was still based on the East Coast last year. He shipped from Colonial Downs to Hastings between July of 2024 and his 1st run on the Bull ring in May of 2025.

Masen will bring his Hastings rider for the mile test Kerron Khelawan. Masen is 20-6-2-5 and is the highest money earner of the field with $534,645 in the bank. Masen races for Nicole Droder and is trained by Craig McPherson. He is slated as the 6th choice of the morning line at 12-1 and breaks from the 5 hole.

Bearings is the 5-time defending jockey Champion, Alex Cruz’s hope to win the marquee race of the NW. The 15-1 morning line runner is also the hope of 2-time Emerald Downs’ top trainer Justin Evans chance at the big race. Bearings is coming off a big effort in the Governor’s Stakes where the 22-1 shot ran a very credible 3rd place closing from further back in the pack. Bearings will need to weave his way through a few runners and hope for a lane to make a big run in the stretch.

Bearings is 16-3-4-3 with a $130,648 in the bank and is owned by Jamie Bolles. Bearings will break from the 9 gate but with his running style the outside post should not impact him into the 1st turn much if at all.

Moneyshot is one of two entriesa from trainer Ian Jewell and WYN Racing Stables who are having a great first season at Emerald Downs. Both are on among the outsiders in this race but longshots have won this race many times in it’s 89 runnings. Moneyshot is one of the younger entries at 4-years-old and a Kentucky Bred. In his first run at Emerald Downs he won by 4 lengths with the 2nd fastest 6 1/2-furlongs this season. He’s also coming off a solid closing effort in the Governor’s where he got up for 4th at 26-1 under Frank Alvarado.

Moneyshot is 20-1 morning line and will begin the Mile in the #3 post position. Moneyshot is 20-2-2-2 with $84,521 in earnings over his career. Alvarado will again have the mount on Sunday.

Seas of Normandy is the second WYN Racing and Ian Jewell’s entry into the mile. Seas of Normandy was claimed from these connections for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park in February of 2024. The connections got a chance to get him in his second start of 2025 at Oaklawn in a 10k claimer. He ran one time in Arkansas and then shipped to Emerald Downs where he has had 1 run at 6 1/2 furlongs on August 2nd., his first race since March. He ran an even 4th place in a $40,000 optional claiming race on August 2nd in his 1st start since March. For his career he is 21-3-0-3 with $140,476 in the bank. Carlos Montalvo is up on Normandy and they will be #4 and is one of the 30-1 longshots.

Fifty Cinco is the other 30-1 starter and will come out of the 6 hole when the gate fly open. Fifty Cinco has been running at the mid to upper claiming class ranks and was just claimed by current owners Ramon Chavarria-Delgado, Kevin Chavarria and Rosales Racing F1 for $15,000 on July 27th. This will be the 1st stakes race for the 5-year-old Kentucky bred who has been very productive at the level he has been racing with a lifetime record of 19-7-1-3 with $103,005 in earnings, thats a 37% win rate. Adrian Castellanos will get the call and ride in his first Longacres Mile and will be looking to pull off a big upset.

Larry The SportsCat’s Prediction for the Longacres Mile

Longacres Mile Champion!: 8 Slew’s Tiz Whiz
2nd: 7 Clovisconnection
3rd: 2 What A Dude
4th: 4 Seas of Normandy

The rest of Championship Sunday

The 1st of the 6 stakes races begins with the 6th race. Remember all 6 are in a row and creates an all-stakes pick 6, pick 5 and pick 4. The other 5 stakes are all listed  in the order they will run. All 5 Stakes have a purse of $50,000.

6th Race WTBOA Lassies Stakes for 2-year-old fillies 

Larry the SportsCat’s Prediction
Lassies Champion! 1st: 1 Falling Leaves
2nd: 2 Bewitching Joy
3rd: 6 Subtle Shimmer
4th: 4 Code of Valor

7th Race WTBOA Lads Stakes for 2-year-old colts & geldings

Larry the SportsCat’s Prediction
Lads Champion! 1st: Cantcatchthiscat
2nd: Blackberry Jam
3rd: Lead the Charge
4th: Saint Benji

8th Race Emerald Distaff Stakes for fillies and mares

Larry the SportsCat’s Prediction
Lads Champion! 1st: Lapush
2nd: Chai
3rd: Aloha Breeze
4th: Hannahaza Hetty

10th Race Muckleshoot Derby Stakes for 3-year-olds

Larry the SportsCat’s Prediction
Lads Champion! 1st: Si That Tiger
2nd: Calmcoolncollected
3rd: Bodi Zafa
4th: He’s Not Talking

11th Race Washington Oaks Stakes for 3-year-old fillies

Larry the SportsCat’s Prediction
Lads Champion! 1st: Precise Timing
2nd: Maximum Sparkle
3rd: Saleen G T
4th: Guard Your Spot

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