It was a weekend of records at Emerald Downs Saturday and Sunday.
Stryker Phd won the $200,000 Longacres Mile, Grade 3, for the second consecutive year joining a very small clique of three – Amble In, Trooper Seven and Simply Majestic.
Sunday was the 80th running of the Mile, which Joe Gottstein, founder of Longacres, began in 1935.
The consecutive win pictures for Stryker Phd was the first at Emerald Down, which opened in 1996 after Longacres closed in 1992. Director of Publicity Joe Withee noted at the Mile postposition draw Aug. 12 that more horses have won the Triple Crown than have consecutively won the Mile.
The 6-year-old gelding was ridden by Leslie Mawing at the high weight of 123 pounds and he ran the flat mile course in 1 minute, 34.06 seconds and paid $4.60, $3 and $2.40.
Larry Ross, assisted by Sharon Ross, is the winning trainer for owners Jim and Mona Hour of Bellevue. The horse was bred by Char Clark Thoroughbreds and Todd Havens.
Stryker Phd has a lifetime record of 21-8-5-5 with earnings of $485,651.
Along with the Longacres Mile record, 53-year-old Enumclaw jockey Gallyn Mitchell set a few riding records while celebrating his birthday.
Mitchell guided Lady Rosberg to the winner’s circle in the $65,000 Emerald Distaff on Sunday.
“Today, she broke and was right with them, and I could have had the lead at any time,” Mitchell said. “And I just talked to her, and she came right back, and I did anything I wanted in the race.”
The 5-year-old mare opened up in the stretch and passed Sarahline for a 3-1/2 length victory for trainer Tom Wenzel and owner/breeder Karl Krieg of Oak Harbor, Wash.
Saturday was Mitchell’s birthday and he celebrated by winning $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes for 2-year-old fillies aboard Princess Kennedy.
Also conditioned by Wenzel for owner-breeder David Thorner of Yakima, Princess Kennedy rallied from last to score the biggest margin of victory in the 34-year history of the race. A Kentucky-bred by Sun King-Pat Hand, Princess Kennedy ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.12 and paid $5.60, $4.40 and $2.80.
Mitchell won two stakes over the weekend and he holds the Emerald Downs record of 80. He has won the distaff three times tying Russell Baze and Juan Gutierrez for most wins in the stakes.
