All eyes will be on defending champion Noosa Beach Sunday as he attempts to win the $200,000 Longacres Mile, Grade 3, and become the third back-to-back winner in the race’s 76-year history. Noosa Beach, however, isn’t the only Mile winner looking for a repeat.
Trainer Howard Belvoir, for the fourth and fifth straight year, will saddle Assessment and Wasserman, respectively, in the Northwest’s richest and most prestigious event.
Historically, adversity has followed Assessment like a shadow. Steadied here. Bumped there. Seemingly one good trip away from another stakes win.
Incidentally, the 7-year-old Kentucky-bred broke from the unenviable 12-post in the 2009 Mile and won with a pristine running line. In 2011, Assessment has put forth honest efforts, but remains winless in four starts. Belvoir said he wants Assessment to return to his natural running style.
“I’d like to see him farther back than he has been this year,” Belvoir said. “The problem is that if there isn’t enough speed in the race, he might have to be closer. I know Wasserman would have liked more speed in the race.”
Wasserman, of course, will rely on his patented tortoise-beats-hare tactics. The track’s all-time money earner with $530,237 may not get the pace he wants, but he will have best pal Jennifer Whitaker back in the saddle. The same Whitaker that rallied aboard Wasserman at 10-to-1 odds to win the 2008 Mile to become the race’s only female winning rider. The Snohomish-native returned to racing last month after she sustained a shoulder injury back in February. She said she’d jog Wasserman tomorrow, her first time aboard the 9-year-old gelding in six months.
“I’m happy to be reunited with my horse,” said Whitaker, who’s ridden Wasserman 48 times in 62 races. “I’m going out there to have some fun.”
ALL 12 LONGACRES MILE ENTRANTS ARE ON THE GROUNDS
Every horse expected to run Sunday in the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) has arrived at Emerald Downs with Crew Leader arriving at noon Friday for trainer Dino Condilenios.
The Condilenios-trained Kimmyv arrived on the same van in advance of her title defense in Sunday’s $65,000 Emerald Distaff. Daymaker, who will run in Saturday’s $21,000 feature race, was also aboard.
All three horses will be stabled at the barn of trainer Blaine Wright, who assisted with the off loading of each horse. Wright said the horses appeared happy after the three-hour trip.
“Each horse looks pretty good,” Wright said. “It’s a pretty short trip, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
Other Longacres Mile Developments:
· Honour the Deputy, who arrived for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer on Thursday, galloped around the Emerald Downs’ oval this morning.
· Noosa Beach was seen bucking and playing at 7 a.m. while being schooled at the gate.
· Assistant trainer Larry Dennis said Slew the Man schooled at the gate today and would more than likely sit off the pace in The Mile, despite coming off a wire-to-wire victory.
· Wasserman and Assessment both galloped this morning, and Howard Belvoir said they’d jog tomorrow in preparation for The Mile.
FORMER CHAMP TO MAKE APPEARANCE ON MILE DAY
In celebration for the 76th Running of the Longacres Mile, former Mile champion, Flamethrowintexan will make an appearance Sunday at Emerald Downs.
2006 winner Flamethrowintexan will enter the paddock with the field of the fourth race and then enter the track after the race for a photo-op in the winner’s circle.
Flamethrowintexan gave Hall of Fame trainer Jim Penney a record five Mile victories with his gate-to-wire neck triumph over 2-to-1 favorite Papi Chullo. Jockey Ricky Frazier rode the Florida-bred gelding for owners Paul and Lori Heist of Grasshopper Stable.
NOTES: Mile Day weather forecast*mix of sun and clouds with temperatures near 80 degrees*The inaugural Milkman 5000 presented by Smith Brothers’ Farm starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The 5k-race replaces the track’s annual “Run the Mile”, but runners will finish their last mile with a lap around the track… The annual “Railbird Rally” kicks off Longacres Mile Day on Sunday, hosted by Doug “The Goat” Cocke. The event starts at 10 a.m. at The Park. Tickets are $7, which includes admission, a Mile program, food and drink. Tickets are available at all customer service locations.
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