The Lead:
The 90th running of the Longacres Mile presented by 1/ST BET headlines the biggest date on the racing calendar annually in the Pacific Northwest. Emerald Downs hosts the 2-turn mile that's been won by such legendary jockeys as Bill Hartack, Johnny Longden, Willie Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr. Five supporting stakes surround the Longacres Mile on the Sunday card, including the Washington Oaks and the Muskleshoot Derby.

Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet be sure to take advantage of the 1 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Hit & Split promotion on Sunday at Emerald Downs for the late pick 4 (Races 8-11).

​Field Depth:
Grade 3 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed MASEN has plenty of back class to tap. Multiple stakes winner CLOVISCONNECTION was runner-up in this race last year and local fixture SLEW'S TIZ WHIZ won the '22 Longacres Mile and has placed in this race twice since. APPREHEND is a Grade 3 winner in Canada, while MONEYSHOT is Canadian Grade 3-placed.
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Pace:
ARROWTHEGREAT and WHAT A DUDE are expected to be forwardly placed from the inner-most posts, while several others have designs near the top: MASEN perhaps fastest of all, along with SEAS OF NORMANDY, FIFTY CINCO, CLOVISCONNECTION and widest-drawn APPREHEND could all turn up the heat. A solid finisher will have every chance if firing his best shot. APPREHEND has shown some versatility, which could come in handy.

Our Eyes:
Here are my horse-by-horse notes.

#1-ARROWTHEGREAT: Del Mar raider for Dan Blacker didn't stack up in several graded stakes bids in SoCal, but his allowance form fits well with these while trying Emerald for the first time. Pairs with jockey Manuel Americano, who comes into the week second in the Emerald season standings. Mile distance form has been excellent, but 5-2 on the morning line feels a bit low.

#2-WHAT A DUDE: 3-time Longacres Mile-winning rider Juan Gutierrez looks to add to his 2005, 2007 and 2020 trophies. This 6-year-old has been in raging form since arriving from Turf Paradise in mid-May, rattling off 3 easy wins against starter allowance and allowance competition around 2 turns. Doesn't require the front, but inner-draw will force his hand to keep position with some early interest.

#3-MONEYSHOT: Local claiming sprint winner was no factor this winter-spring at Oaklawn and a non-threatening fourth in the 6-1/2 furlong Governor's Stakes prep behind Slew's Tiz Whiz. Should get pace to rally into, but it's not clear if he's better as a closing sprinter based on several prior route tries.

#4-SEAS OF NORMANDY: $10,000 claim at Oaklawn in March will be a big price in his second local start. Stop-and-go trip in local sprint allowance for this after 4 months on the bench. Like the second-off-layoff and sprint-to-route form cycle for a barn clicking 31% at the meet. But his best race, which he could be set to fire, doesn't look good enough.

#5-MASEN: Irish export and former Chad Brown trainee was a turf dynamo in 2022, winning the Grade 3 Poker and finishing third in the Grade 1 Fourstardave and second in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile. But a couple of long layoffs since then and a couple of barn changes landed the now 7-year-old at Hastings Park in Vancouver. He's shown sprint speed on the bullring in allowance company, wiring the field July 19 off just 2 weeks' rest. His Hastings pilot Kerron Khelawan is third at home in the standings, but has not ridden at Emerald Downs. Pace factor.

#6-FIFTY CINCO: Emerald Downs' 2025 leading trainer Jorge Rosales takes a big step in class with this gelding who won a $15,000 claimer 2 starts back when haltered by the new barn. Consistent claimer has been in the super in 9 of his last 10, but finds himself in much deeper waters having run 15 of 19 times for a claiming tag and never in a stakes.

#7-CLOVISCONNECTION: Last year's Longacres Mile pacesetter led all but the last jump when second by a head. All 6 starts since have been in sprints, so it will be up to 2025 Emerald Downs leading jockey Kevin Krigger to ration his ability. Trainer Blane Wright won the Longacres Mile in 2020 with Anothertwistafate and has managed this Cal-bred to a stellar 12-for-21 win mark. Clovisconnection won the Budweiser Stakes in June before a troubled start, middle-move and fade as the favorite in the Governor's Stakes. Expected strong pace doesn't help his distance cause.

#8-SLEW'S TIZ WHIZ (pictured): Emerald star has made all 27 starts locally, culminating in Sunday's fourth appearance in the Longacres Mile. The 7-year-old is lightly raced for his age, getting the fall and winter off each season due to the local schedule. Trainer Tom Wenzel also won this race in 2007 as well as Slew's Tiz Whiz's victory in 2022. He's on his typical allowance-Budweiser-Governor's prep path and can be expected to fire again after coming within three-quarters of a length of sweeping those 3 starts this year. Late-runner should come knocking in the lane.

#9-BEARINGS: Well-traveled 5-year-old has raced in New York, Kentucky, California, Arizona and New Mexico before bedding down at Emerald this season for the meet's second-leading trainer Justin Evans. The high-percentage barn managed a 16-1 runner-up with this guy in the Sunland Park Handicap and a 22-1 third-place finish in the Governor's Stakes locally. The mile trip has suited him well in the past, and his last rally showed he's not too far off of Slew's Tiz Whiz to totally dismiss.

#10-APPREHEND: Former Peter Miller trainee posted victories at Oaklawn and Santa Anita early in his career, but was sidelined a year and a half before resurrecting his career in Canada with trainer Barbara Heads. The Hastings-based gelding by Arrogate brings a 5-race winning streak into the Longacres Mile, including the Grade 3 Premier Stakes at home and the Century Mile on the road in July off a 9-month hiatus. He was flashy in his Edmonton road trip last out and scored in track-record time. Regular rider Amadeo Perez looks for a second Longacres Mile score, having success in 2013 with Herbie D and has had a lot of success with limited appearances at Emerald over the years. Major threat.

Most Likely Exotics Contender:
SLEW'S TIZ WHIZ is 3-times already placed in this race, has 18 straight superfecta finishes on his ledger and gets a pace set-up to flatter his rallying style.

Best Longshot Contender:
BEARINGS at 15-1 morning line is both fair odds and attractive given his 22-1 try in the Governor's Stakes. He'll get speed to pass ... it's a matter of how many.

Sending it in ($100 bankroll):
$50 exacta SLEW'S TIZ WHIZ over APPREHEND; $20 exacta SLEW'S TIZ WHIZ over BEARINGS; $20 exacta APPREHEND over SLEW'S TIZ WHIZ; $10 exacta APPREHEND over BEARINGS.

--Photo Courtesy: Emerald Downs // Reed Palmer Photography