Longacres Mile

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A dozen will head to post in Sunday’s $300,000 Longacres Mile (G3) at Emerald
Downs, the premier race in the Pacific Northwest. While the California invaders
will likely take a large share of the betting action, it might still be worthwhile to
give the local candidates their due and consider them as well given their recent
success in this race.

TEIDE (Mt. Livermore), formerly under the care of Kiaran McLaughlin, has done
quite well in his new home of British Columbia. After going unplaced in a sprint
stakes in May following a layoff, the five-year-old has since passed his second
allowance condition comfortably and registered a solid win in the Lieutenant
Governors’ H., both over the Hastings Park bullring. The chestnut has turned in
excellent works over that five-eighths mile oval since then, and was good enough
to earn a competitive BRIS Speed rating when capturing a Gulfstream allowance
early last season. He’s our pick to upset the field.

SIERRA SUNSET (Bertrando), briefly on the Triple Crown trail last year
following a three-length win in the Rebel S. (G2), has bounced back following a
layoff of nearly 15 months. Up the track in his comeback in a tough renewal of
the Ack Ack H. (G3) on Cushion Track, the bay rebounded to romp by five lengths
in the Alamedan H. at Pleasanton on dirt, beating the multiple Grade 2-placed
runner Bold Chieftain (Chief Seattle). He should find himself in a tracking
position behind the various speed and might prove the most dangerous of the
Californians.

AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) returns to the dirt after a long absence. The
six-year-old was most notably third behind Curlin in the 2007 Breeders’ Cup
Classic (G1), but he was shut out of the winner’s circle in eight
races last season and only returned to the enclosure following a turf allowance
score at Hollywood Park in June. His recent runner-up effort in the Eddie Read
(G1) was strong, and if he can carry his recent form to Emerald he stands a
strong chance based on his back class.

ASSESSMENT (Jump Start) is one of the more in-form local candidates, having
finished first or second in each of his last five Emerald stakes appearances.
The two races in that sequence that were a mile or beyond turned out to be
victories for the gelding, so he could not be entering any stronger. The
downside is that he’s coming off a career-best effort and will break from the
far outside in post 12. The threat of a wide trip tempers our enthusiasm.

GALLON (Victory Gallop) is a hard knocker who can turn in a solid closing
kick, and he’s overdue to run a big one in his fourth race back from a winter
break. He’s one local who could sneak into the exotics at a nice price.
WASSERMAN (Cahill Road), who won this race last year, is winless in six starts
this year and simply doesn’t seem to be the same horse as he was last year.
We’re standing against him. Multiple Grade 3 winner AUTISM AWARENESS (Tannersmyman)
captured his last dirt start, the 2008 El Camino Real Derby (G3), and has
since added the Berkeley S. (G3) on Tapeta. Classier than most, his Speed
ratings still leave much to be desired.

The speedsters BANK EMBLEM (Victory Gallop), ATTA BOY ROY (Tribunal), CRAFTY
POWER (Falstaff) and KRUGER PARK (Johannesburg) should make things lively early
on, but it’s hard to envision them surviving a prolonged duel at this trip.
TRUMPET PLAYER JAY (Orientate) will need a career-best performance in his dirt
debut.