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.
The Mile 