Stryker Phd Seeks Third Longacres Mile Win

Jim and Mona Hour's Stryker Phd will seek to become the first horse to win the $200,000 Longacres Mile (gr. III) in three consecutive years Aug. 14 at Emerald Downs, but will have to turn the tables on a recent local rival and fend off a challenge from several California invaders to do so.

The 7-year-old, Washington-bred Bertrando gelding earned his first graded stakes win in the 2014 edition of Emerald's summer spotlight race and defended his title in 2015, when he defeated California-based runners Sammy Mandeville (second) and Alert Bay (third), who will both be back to challenge Sunday from the respective barns of Doug O'Neill and Blaine Wright.

NOVAK: Stryker Phd Repeats in Longacres Mile

Alert Bay, who tops the field with more than $1.1 million in earnings, last won the San Francisco Mile (gr. IIIT), but hasn't been victorious on a dirt surface since he took the 2014 British Columbia Derby (Can-III), BC Premier's Handicap (Can-III), and Zia Park Derby in consecutive starts.

Stryker Phd may have been the star horse of the Northwest in past seasons, but Oregon-bred O B Harbor is the horse of the moment.

The 4-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding trained by Chris Stenslie has been untouchable in 2016. He won an Emerald allowance in his 4-year-old debut in April, scored his first stakes victory in the May 22 Governor's Stakes, and then defeated Stryker Phd on back-to-back occasions in the Budweiser and Mt. Rainier stakes.

Jody Peetz, who owns O B Harbor under the name One Horse Will Do Corporation, purchased him for $18,500 at the 2013 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association's summer yearling sale.  

"It has been such a big surprise," Peetz said. "We didn't know what we had at the beginning of the year. We knew he was talented, but when he came out and won his first race this year against older horses, we were like 'Wow.' Then he came back and won the Governor's, which was my favorite race of his so far."

Another California shipper, who has done his share of shipping this year, is Spendthrift Farm and Stonestreet Stables' Cyrus Alexander. He earned his first graded score May 30 in the Lone Star Park Handicap (gr. III) before he ran seventh in the Cornhusker Handicap (gr. III) last time out July 2. A $1.7 million purchase as a yearling, the 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro colt has a 4-4-2 record from 16 starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.