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 Mile 