Background Surges to Victory in Longacres Mile

Background  and jockey Rocco Bowen would not be denied victory in the $100,000 Longacres Mile Handicap (G3) Aug. 15 at Emerald Downs.

The 4-year-old gelding and three-time Emerald Downs riding champion combined forces for one final surge of energy and nailed Windribbon  in the final jump for a head victory in the 86th renewal of the Northwest's premier horse race. The victory is the first graded stakes win for the 4-year-old son of Khozan.

Background, the betting favorite, ran the mile on the fast track in 1:36.67 and returned $6.60 for a $2 win ticket. Mike Puhich, winning his second Longacres Mile, is the trainer for owners Bob and Molly Rondeau of Giddyup Stables.

Rondeau, best known as the longtime voice of University of Washington basketball and football, led the cheers in a raucous and emotional winner's circle ceremony.

"Unbelievable, I have no voice left at all," Rondeau said. "(In mid-stretch) there's no way in the world he wins that race, but (Background) had the wherewithal to pull it off. This is an unimaginable thrill."

Bowen, who won titles at Emerald Downs in 2016, '17, and '18, resumed his riding career in the Midwest last year after missing some 18 months with injuries. Returning to Emerald Downs to win the track's biggest race had the 32-year-old native of Barbados in tears.

"I can't believe it … finally," Bowen said after earning the first graded stakes win of his career. "I knew Background wasn't done, we fought together out there."

A Florida-bred, Background earned $55,000 to push his bankroll to $287,532. The chestnut gelding is 4-2-4 from 14 starts overall including three wins at Oaklawn Park.

Windribbon , ridden by Kevin Orozco, nearly pulled off a 12-1 upset that would have given trainer Blaine Wright a second straight Longacres Mile victory. The 5-year-old gelding swept past Papa's Golden Boy  and Anyportinastorm  into the lane, opening a 2 1/2-length lead past mid-stretch, and just failed to last.

Five Star General , the 5-2 morning-line favorite ridden by Mario Gutierrez, edged Papa's Golden Boy in the final jump for third place. The 5-year-old now has a second and a third in the past two Longacres Miles.

Papa's Golden Boy, bidding to sweep all three stakes for older horses at the meet, battled gamely to the wire and finished fourth.

Papa's Golden Boy, ridden by Julien Couton, and Anyportinastorm , ridden by Juan Gutierrez, dueled through fractions of :22.94, :45.34, and 1:09.73, with neither rider giving an inch. Windribbon, positioned just behind those two, made his move into the lane and appeared headed for the upset victory.

But Background, in sixth place early, made a sustained, grinding rally that finally bore fruit at the finish line.

Unmachable  rallied from last to pick off fifth place, one length behind Papa's Golden Boy, while Anyportinastorm faded to sixth. Reelfoot , longest price on the board at 101-1, finished seventh while Hard to Deny , Muncey , Forest Fire , and Sir Bregovic  completed the order of finish.

The Rondeaus enjoyed a big day. In addition to Background winning the Longacres Mile, Compelling Smile , co-owned by the Rondeaus and Mark DeDomenico, finished second in the Emerald Distaff Handicap.

Background was bred by Brent and Crystal Fernung out of the Corinthian mare Ephyra, whose other Khozan progeny include the unraced 2-year-old colt Aztec, the yearling filly Esoteric, and a colt foaled in March. Ephyra was bred back to Khozan for 2022.