$200,000 LONGACRES MILE (G3) 79th RUNNING, 3-YEAR-OLDS & UP

The 2013 Longacres Mile

Track & Stakes Record: 1:33, Sky Jack (7), 123 lbs, Aug. 24, 2003

Most Wins

Trainer: 5
Jim Penney (Silver Mallet, 1973; Theologist, 1977; Edneator, 2000;
Sabertooth, 2002; Flamethrowintexan, 2006)
Jockey: 5,
Gary Baze (Trooper Seven, 1980-81; Chum Salmon, 1985; Judge Angelucci, 1987; Adventuresome Love, 1993)
Owner: 5
Bob Hutchinson (Campus Fusser, 1941; Lavengro, 1942; Prince Ernest, 1945;
Kings Favor 1967; Steel Blade, 1968)
Purse: 1st $110,000 2nd $40,000 3rd $30,000 4th $15,000 5th 5,000
Favorites Overall: 30-for-78 Odds-On: 6-for-15
Favorites @ Emerald Downs (1996-2013): 4-for-18 Odds-on @ Emerald Downs: 0-for-2
Track condition: Fast 67, Sloppy 5, Good 2, Muddy 2, Slow 2
Largest $2 Win: No Giveaway $122, 2005; Smallest $2 Win: Judge Angelucci  $2.60, 1987
Avg. $2 Win: $14.20
Largest field: 16, 1935 (1st Running) Smallest: 7, 1987 & 1997
Total starters 1935-2013: 857 Average field size: 10.8
Gate-to-wire winners: 18
Largest win margin: 6 ¼ lengths, Sky Jack, 2003
Smallest win margin: nose-multiple, most recent L.J. Express,1995

OWNERS HOMETOWNS
 1—Jebrica (15) Dr. Mark Dedomenico, Redmond, WA;
N American Thoroughbred Racing Company Inc. (Glen Todd, Surrey, BC)
2—Dontmesswithkitten (20) Henry Leong, Seattle, WA; Daniel Lew, Seattle, WA
3—Prohibition (3) Dr. Mark Dedomenico, Redmond, WA;
N American Thoroughbred Racing Company Inc. (Glen Todd, Surrey, BC)
4—Twistgrips (20) Gordon Christoff, Tsawwassen, BC
5—Disruption (12) Nelson Family Racing (Heidi Nelson, Bothell, WA)
6—Boyett (12) Dr. Rodney Orr, Silverton, ORE
7—Title Contender (9-2)  Peter Redekop, BC Ltd. (Peter Redekop, Langley, BC)
8—Scat Daddybaby (15)   Mike & Amy Feuerborn, Maple Valley, WA
9—Stryker Phd (5-2) Jim & Mona Hour, Bellevue, WA
10—Mysterious Soul (15)  Lois & R.J. Bennett, Vancouver, BC
11—Mr. Bowling (8) Dr. Mark Dedomenico, Redmond, WA;
N American Thoroughbred Racing Company Inc. (Glen Todd, Surrey, BC)
12—Shooting Jacket (20) Swift Thoroughbreds Inc. (Mark & Naudia Mache, Vancouver, BC;
Horatio & Jacqueline Kemeny, Vancouver, BC)

LONGACRES MILE SERIES
May 18-$50,000 Governor’s Handicap, 6 ½ Furlongs, Why Not Be Perfect ($59.80), 1:13.72
June 15-$50,000 Budweiser Handicap, 1 Mile, Stryker Phd ($10.80), 1:34.15
July 20-$50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap, 1 1/16 Mile, Stryker Phd ($3.80), 1:40.20
Aug. 24-$200,000 Longacres Mile (G3), 1Mile
Sept. 7-$50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic (WA Bred) 1 1/16 Mile

FAB 5 HANDICAPPERS
Joe Withee (EmD1): Stryker Phd, Disruption, Prohibition (7-18; $151.70)
Robert Geller (EmD2): Stryker Phd, Disruption, Twistgrips (11-18; $184.50)
Jacob Pollowitz (EmD3): Stryker Phd, Title Contender, Mysterious Soul (11-18; $175.40)
Vic Cozzetti  (Predictorsays.com): Stryker Phd, Title Contender, Disruption (5-18; $157.40)
Nick Rousso (Daily Racing Form): Boyett, Stryker Phd, Twistgrips (7-18; $152.60)
Consensus: Stryker Phd (22), Boyett (5), Disruption (5) (10-18; $164.30)

NOTES: Morning line favorite Stryker Phd ran the meet’s fastest times at one mile (1:34.15) and 1 1/16 miles (1:40.20) while scoring wins in the Budweiser Handicap and Mt. Rainier Handicap. . .Awesome Gem in 2011 is the last horse to win The Mile after finishing second in his previous Mile start (2009). . .British Columbia-breds have won two straight Miles (Herbie D, 2013; Taylor Said, 2012); Twistgrips is the lone B.C.-bred this year, but the field includes several Canadian-based runners—Title Contender,Mysterious Soul, Shooting Jacket and Twistrgrips. . . Herbie D earned a 100 Beyer in the 2013 Longacres Mile, winning gate-to-wire under Amadeo Perez in 1:35.12. . . Taylor Said got a 98 Beyer in 2012, running one mile in 1:33.79. . .Leslie Mawing (Stryker Phd) is the meet’s leading rider (78 wins) and stakes rider (8 wins) but is 6-0-0-0 in the Longacres Mile. His best finishes are fourths on Schoolin You in 2007 and St Liams Halo in 2012.

Meet the Mile Horses

This morning the Media and Marketing staff at Emerald Downs went on a field trip to the barns to deliver goodies to the Mile connections. While delivering swag they stopped to say hello to a few of the contenders for tomorrow!

Meet Prohibition, in the Pegasus barn, trained by Mike Puhich. Mike’s take on having three horses in The Mile, “Prohibition will be in the first three way dead heat for 1st in Mile history!”

Next on the list is Boyett, the California shipper ridden by Agapito Delgadillo and trained by Mark Glatt. Sophia McKee, Marketing Director, gets on his good side with a carrot.

Just woken from a nap is Disruption, aka Bruce, trained by Monique Snowden.

Scat Daddybaby, in the barn of Robbie Baze and ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, was quite the model. Posing for a profile shot, he wouldn’t show off his perfect heart shaped star on his forehead.

Mysterious Soul was quite the Casanova, enchanting everyone with his beautiful forelock. He will be schooling in the Paddock for the first race on Saturday, so keep an eye out for him!

 

17 Hours Until The Mile! 

DISRUPTION HAS UNIQUE CONNECTIONS FOR SUNDAY’S $200,000 LONGACRES MILE (G3)

Eliska Kubinova on Disruption

Of the 12 horses entered in Sunday’s $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3), Disruption has the fewest starts, seven, and has never won a stakes race. That’s the bad news.

Now for the good: the 4-year-old Street Boss gelding is coming up to Sunday’s Grade 3 race in wonderful shape. Trainer Monique Snowden has Disruption peaking for the big race; The Mile marks his third start of the season, a campaign that already yielded a sharp allowance win over I Keep Saying at 6 ½ furlongs, and a third to Stryker Phd and Dontmesswithkitten in the Mt. Rainier Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.

Disruption only needs slight improvement to be considered a bona fide threat Sunday. Without question the Florida-bred 4-year-old looks and acts the part, his muscular frame topped by a copper penny coat that gleams with good health.

Snowden, who took over training Disruption last winter for owner Heidi Nelson, is enjoying the prestige that comes with training a Longacres Mile-type horse.

“Basically, I’ve given up any kind of life to take care of him all day long and he’s paid me back so much,” Snowden said. “The (Mt. Rainier Handicap) was so much pressure because we knew we’d have to do well otherwise we wouldn’t have made it in The Mile.

“I’ve never seen him this good before,” Snowden added. “His workouts are amazing. His attitude is amazing. He might win. He might not. But he’ll be right there.”

If Disruption wins Sunday, it would mark the first ever Mile won by a horse with all female connections. Jockey Eliska Kubinova completes Team Disruption, and said post-position No. 5 should suit her horse fine.

“I’m very happy with the post,” said Kubinova, fresh off her first Emerald Downs stakes victory on Pippa Bou Peep in the last Sunday’s Barbara Shinpoch Stakes. “I wanted No. 4, but this is as close as you can be.

“I think he’s getting a lot stronger now,” Kubinova added. “I’m not going to worry about the other horses, I’ll have my own plan out there.”

Disruption is drawn between what figure to be his two main pace rivals-Dontmesswithkitten in post 2 and Scat Daddybaby in post 8-and Snowden is elated with No. 5.

“I love the post we got,” she said. “I think we have enough speed to clear the horses on the inside and we’ll make Scat Daddybaby have to run hard to get in front of us.

“I want us to have the lead into the first turn and then if someone really wants it that bad, we’ll be happy to just sit right off.”

And if all goes well, as the field straightens for home Disruption will have the jump on morning line favorite Stryker Phd and a wall of closers.

FULL FIELD OF 12 ENTERED IN $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3)

An overflow field of 13 runners was entered Wednesday for Sunday’s $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs. Until You won a shake with Assessment-both geldings were assigned 114 lbs-for the 12th and final spot in the 78th renewal of the Northwest’s most prestigious race

Eastern invader Politcallycorrect drew the No. 3 post-position and was installed as the 7-to-2 morning line favorite by line maker Rob Rao. The evenly matched field includes runners from virtually all points in North America-East, Midwest, California, Canada and Washington.

Herbie D, impressive winner of the July 21 Mt. Rainier Handicap, drew the No. 10 post-position and is the 4-to-1 second choice. Herbie D, a 5-year-old B.C.-bred who bids to become the second straight Canadian horse to win The Mile, is 9-1-1 in 12 lifetime starts for trainer Robert Gilker.

Politcallycorrect and Herbie D also are starting co-high weights at 121 lbs each.

Golden Itiz a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred from the powerful John Sadler barn at Del Mar, drew No. 7 and is 5-to-1, and Mr. Bowling, a recent acquisition trained by Mike Puhich, drew the No. 11 post and is 6-to-1.

Mr. Bowling, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred, was purchased privately by Dr. Mark Dedomenico and Glen Todd (North American Thoroughbred Racing Co, Inc.), and ships to Emerald after a runner-up finish in the $101,000 Golden Bear at Indiana Downs. And, of course, Puhich and Todd teamed up to win the 2012 Mile with Taylor Said from an outside post-position.

“The Mile is the biggest race in the Pacific Northwest,” Todd said “It was the best and most gratifying day I’ve had in horse racing. “We’ve got two in (this year’s race). I don’t know if they’re as good as Taylor Said, but we can’t win if were not in the race.”

Hoist, owned by Todd and trained by Puhich, breaks from the No. 2 post with Mario Gutierrez-last year’s winner on Taylor Said-getting the mount.

Tres Borrachos, the field’s richest earner with $1,030,973, drew No. 8 and is ridden by David G. Lopez, at 10-to-1, and Jebrica, from the barn of five-time Longacres Mile-winning trainer Jim Penney, drew No. 6 and is ridden by Isaias Enriquez at 12-to-1.

Winning Machine, who missed by a head to Taylor Said in last year’s Mile, drew the No. 12 post-position and is ridden by Javier Matias at 15-to-1. A 7-year-old gelding, Winning Machine has won four stakes and three divisional honors at Emerald Downs, but only two horses-Coldwater in the inaugural running in 1935 and Assessment in 2009, have won The Mile for post-position 12.

Longacres Mile Notes:

• Russell Baze, jockey on morning line favorite Politicallycorrect, is riding in his record 20th Longacres Mile, including victories on Simply Majestic, 1989; Sky Jack, 2003, and Adreamisborn, 2004.
• Gerry Olguin, rider of Golden Itiz, makes his first Emerald Downs appearance since 2001 and is 0-for-13 lifetime at Emerald Downs. A 40-year-old native of Chula Vista, CA, Olguin has 1,851 career wins, riding mainly in Canada, and teamed with owner K.K. Sangara to win the 2007 B.C. Derby on Celtic Dreamin for trainer Rafael Beccera.
• Ken & Sarah Ramsey, owners/breeders of Politcallycorrect, lead the nation in 2013 earnings with $6,356,860, and they have earned three Eclipse Awards-2004 Turf Horse Kitten’s Joy (sire of Politcallycorrect), 2004 Owners, and 2010 Steeplechaser Slip Away.
• The remainder of Sunday’s card (excluding Longacres Mile & Emerald Distaff) will be drawn Thursday.

2013 Longacres Mile Fun Facts

Taylor Said winning the 2012 Mile

14 Graded winners nominated to Mile: Assessment, Clubhouse Ride, Commander, Drill, Fed Biz, Gladding, Golden Itiz, Hudson Landing, Liaison, Majestic City, Mr. Bowling, Summer Hit, Tres Borrachos, Winning Machine.

Kentucky-breds lead in nominations: Kentucky 19, Washington 4, Florida 2, California 1, British Columbia 1, Argentina 1.

4-year-olds comprise almost half the list: 4yo-13; 5yo-8; 6yo-4; 7yo-1; 8yo-1, 9-yo-1.

Last start at: Del Mar 10, Emerald Downs 8, Betfair Hollywood Park 4, Hastings Racecourse 3, Saratoga 1, Indiana Downs 1, Northlands Park 1.

Eight horses also nominated last year: Assessment, Commander, Gladding, Herbie D, Hudson Landing, Jebrica, Shrug & Winning Machine