The 15th Running of the G3 Longacres Mile

Sunday, August 14, 2022

EMD Race #1 $150.000

3+ 118/124 Lbs (plus penalties) 1-Mile

Track/Stakes Record-1:34.27 (Collision Bend-2012)

#1 A Beagle Named Boo (John Henry/J. Whitaker 124): 39th race will mark only the third time this one has gone this far.  6yo has made a good chunk of change going shorter, but he draws the rail in his attempt to conquer routing.  Hasn’t won since taking a G3 in April of ’21, so maybe the stretchout is the cure to what’s been ailing him.

#2 Bayou Days (Barcelona Farms/K. Radke 124): 4yo enters off of a $50.000 stake’s victory and has been in the exacta in his last three efforts.  A winner in 9 of his 15 races, he gets his first crack at graded foes here.  Should sit a good trip and he’s proven at the distance, just has to prove he has the class to compete at this level.

#3 Space Commander (Nakamura Stables/J.M. Gutierrez 124): 6yo competed in BC Classic last season, but hasn’t been very successful this year.  His one win this season did come at this trip, and he should appreciate dropping to the G3 level.  Probably needs a dry surface to produce his best, but this feels like a good spot for him to get back on track.

#4 Uncle Bo (Night Rider Stables/L.A. Mawing 124): Just missed in a non-graded, $175.000 try last month at CD going this same distance.  That was his first attempt going a route of ground, so good to see him come back here.  He’s winless in ’22, but he’s been very competitive at the listed level.  Needs a step forward to get it done here, but that isn’t out of the question.

#5 Nobile Dex (Angelos Stable/C. Teeter 124): 6yo has 13 wins from 40 starts with 17 other ITM finishes.  The 75% ITM rate is very good, but he’s only faced graded foes once in his career.  He does own three wins this season and seems to be versatile enough to get a trip that should make him competitive here.

#6 Unicorn (Black N Gold Stable/A.M. Cruz 124): Not to be outdone by the “whipper-snapper” just to his inside, 7yo has taken 15 of his 41 races and been in the trifecta another 17 times.  Consistent types like these are fun to own and it’s good to see him coming here after taking a $175.000 listed event last time.  Hasn’t faced many graded fields in his career, but he’s yet to miss the board in 8 starts for this outfit.

Final Analysis: 6-3-1 is how we see them coming home in the G3 Longacres Mile.  Good luck to all of the participants!

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES