Jim Penney – The Mile

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

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.

JEBRICA PREVAILS IN $20,475 FEATURE RACE, IS CLAIMED FOR TRACK RECORD $50,000

Jebrica exerted his class with a powerful 2 ¾-length victory Saturday, August 2 in the $20,475 feature race for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Juan Gutierrez at 120 lbs, the multiple-stakes winning gelding ran one mile in 1:35.25 and paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.20. Jim Penney is the trainer for owners Where We At (Paul Heist and Jack Fabulich).

Upon returning to the winner’s circle, however, a red tag was placed on Jebrica to signify the 6-year-old was claimed for a track-record tying $50,000 by trainer Mike Puhich and owners Dr. Mark Dedomenico and North American Thoroughbred Racing Co.

Voted Emerald Downs’ Top 3-Year-Old of 2011, Jebrica is 8-4-6 in 31 starts lifetime with earnings of $327,567. He’s a double stakes winner at Emerald Downs and also won the B.C. Premiers at Hastings Racecourse.

“He’s just a great horse,” Puhich said. “If anybody ever stubs their toe, he’s always going to be there. We’ll check him out but the plan is to run him back in the Mile. This race sets him up perfectly for three weeks.”

The $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) is Sunday, August 24. Jebrica has run the Mile twice, finishing eighth to Taylor Said in 2012 and fourth to Herbie D last year.

“With a horse like him, there are plenty of options,” Puhich added. “He’s done pretty much everything. Glen Todd (North American Thoroughbred Racing Co.) pointed him out when he saw him in for a price in California a couple years ago.”

Assessment, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 117 lbs, closed from last to finish second and paid $6.20 and $2.60. The 10-year-old gelding earned $4,095 to push his Emerald Downs’ earnings to $469,525, second highest on the track’s all-time list.

Rocky’s Quest, ridden by Rocco Bowen at 117 lbs, finished third and paid $2.40 to show. Calculated Chaos, the early leader, finished fourth and Carving was last.

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.

The Post Positions are Available!

$200,000 Longacres Mile-78th Running-Grade 3
Sunday, August 18, Race 8, 5:32 PM
PP Horse Jockey Trainer Weight Morning Line Odds
1 Until You Juan Gutierrez David Martinez 114 30
2 Hoist Mario Gutierrez Mike Puhich 117 20
3 Politicallycorrect Russell Baze Wesley Ward 121 7-2
4 Gladding Dennis Carr Vann Belvoir 116 10
5 Stryker Phd Debbie Hoonan Margo Lloyd 116 8
6 Jebrica Isaias Enriquez Jim Penney 118 12
7 Golden Itiz Gerry Olguin John Sadler 116 5
8 Tres Borrachos David G. Lopez Mike Puhich 118 10
9 Why Not Be Perfect A. Sanguinetti Jeff Metz 118 15
10 Herbie D Amadeo Perez Robert Gilker 121 4
11 Mr. Bowling Aaron Gryder Mike Puhich 117 6
12 Winning Machine Javier Matias Frank Lucarelli 117 15

Photo Courtesy of Reed Palmer — Joe Withee and The Mile Honorary Steward, Don Munger

To buy tickets online : The Mile Tickets

To buy tickets by phone: Call 253-288-7711

Jebrica

5-year-old bay gelding by Liberty Gold-Peaceful Wings
Bred in : Washington
Record: 21-6-3-4
Earnings: $264,405
Owner: R & R Warren LLC
Trainer: Jim Penney
Jockey: Isaias Enriquez
The track’s champion 3-year-old of 2011 has been in good form this year, finishing first, third and fourth in the division’s first three stakes races, including a $23.20 upset in the one-mile Budweiser Handicap. His winning time in the Budweiser, 1:34.72, is the fastest
mile time at the meeting. Gelding has excellent connections in his corner—trainer Jim Penney has a record five Longacres Mile wins, and newcomer Isaias Enriquez is battling with Juan Gutierrez for the 2013 Emerald Downs riding title.

$200,000 LONGACRES MILE DRAWS 28 NOMINATIONS, 78th RENEWAL SET FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

Director of Racing Bret Anderson has released a star-studded list of 28 nominations for the 78th running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) on Sunday, August 18.

Fourteen graded winners are nominated to the Northwest’s premier event, including three nominations from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, along with horses from the Midwest, California, Canada and Emerald Downs.

Baffert, who won the first Mile run at Emerald Downs with Isitingood in 1996, nominated graded winners Fed Biz, Drill and Liaison, while fellow Californian John Sadler also nominated three runners: Golden Itiz, Cast a Doubt and Gnarly Dude.

The 28 nominations are up four from last year and include many of the West Coast’s sharpest middle-distance runners.

Trainer Michael Puhich, who garnered his first Mile last year with Taylor Said, leads all trainers with seven nominations: Commander, Devil in Disguise, Hoist, Liberty Cap, Mr. Bowling, Saddleranch and Tres Borrachos. Mr. Bowling, a 4-year-old Istan colt acquired privately last week by Dr. Mark Dedomenico and North American Thoroughbred Racing Co., won the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes last year in New Orleans and comes off a third in a $100,000 stakes race at Indiana Downs.

Politcallycorrect, conditioned by Washington native Wesley Ward, is a 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy gelding who was second in the Grade 3 James Marvin last month at Saratoga, and reportedly will be ridden by three-time Longacres Mile-winning jockey Russell Baze.

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who won the 2004 Mile with Adreamisborn, nominated Summer Hit, a 4-year-old Bertrando gelding that won the Grade 3 All American at Golden Gate Fields, and is 7-2-2 in 12 career starts.

Herbie D, gate-to-wire winner of the July 21 Mt. Rainier Handicap, is 9-1-1 in 12 career starts for trainer Robert Gilker, and the 5-year-old gelding could become the second straight B.C. bred to win The Mile. Herbie D leads a strong Canadian contingent of nominees that includes Commander, Devil in Disguise, Liberty Cap and Shrug.

Jim Penney, trainer of a record five Mile winners, nominated Budweiser Handicap winner Jebrica, a steady 5-year-old who comes off a third to Herbie D in the Mt. Rainier. And trainer Margo Lloyd nominated the deep closer Stryker Phd, a 4-year-old Bertrando gelding that has finished second in all three of the older handicap division stakes this year at Emerald Downs.

Other California-based runners include Majestic City, a 4-year-old City Zip colt that was runner-up in two straight Grade 1s as a 2-year-old and recently was second to Paynter in a classified allowance at Betfair Hollywood Park. Argentina-bred Batti Man is a late-developing 5-year-old that finished a game third to Kettle Corn and Paynter in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

Clubhouse Ride has been one of Southern California’s best handicap horses this year, but trainer Craig Lewis said Sunday the 5-year-old horse is being treated for a low blood cell count and is unsure when Clubhouse Ride would return to action.

Assessment has the distinction of being the oldest horse nominated to the 2013 Mile, and the 9-year-old gelding—winner of the 2009 Longacres Mile—is the only former Mile winner nominated to this year’s race. His trainer, Howard Belvoir, is one of five former Mile winning-trainers with horses nominated along with Baffert, Puhich, Penney and Hollendorfer.

If more than 12 horses are entered, the 12 highest weighted horses will be preferred. Weights are announced Saturday, August 10, and entries will be drawn Wednesday, August 14.