Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race Results: Wasserman Wins Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs
Posted on Sunday, August 17th, 2008
Wasserman, as has been his habit all season, staged a dramatic stretch rally and scored a neck victory Sunday in the 73rd running of the $300,000 Longacres Mile Handicap at Emerald Downs.
As part of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge, the Longacres Mile winner Wasserman automatically becomes one of the Breeders’ Cup horses and qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.
However, Wasserman would have to be a supplemental nomination to the Breeders’ Cup, a fee of $80,000. Race horse owner Howard Belvoir said his gelding would probably pass the Breeders’ Cup races. The plan, Belvoir said, probably includes a start in the Washington Cup on September 14 and then a vacation.
The stunning Longacres Mile victory, which was greeted by thunderous applause from the sweltering crowd of 8,722, made Wasserman the 4th straight local horse to win the Northwest’s most prestigious race. Jockey Jennifer Whitaker, also a Washington native, became the first female jockey to ride a Longacres Mile winner.
Also bred and trained by Howard Belvoir, Wasserman ran one mile in 1:35 under 118 pounds and paid $22.40, $7.60 and $3.20. Wasserman has now won 3 photo finishes in stakes races this season, and the 6-year-old Washington-bred gelding earned $137,500 for the victory.
True Metropolitan, with jockey James McAlaney riding at 122 pounds, overcame a slow start to finish second and paid $4.60 and $3.20. The two-time Canadian handicap horse of the year surged past Tropic Storm for the lead in deep stretch, but then was overhauled by Wasserman at the wire.
Tropic Storm, the 6-5 betting favorite ridden by jockey Aaron Gryder at 118 pounds, took the lead away from Flamethrowintexan into the stretch, opened a clear advantage at the 8th pole, but was unable to resist the winners late and finished 3rd showing $2.60.
Assessment, also trained by Howard Belvoir, finished 4th in the Longacres Mile followed by Schoolin You, Call On Carson, Flamethrowintexan, Honour the West, Nationhood, Luhuk’s Dancer, Southern Africa and Diligent Prospect.
Wasserman, for the 35th straight race, wasn’t the betting favorite, but the gangly gelding did erase one black mark. He had been winless in 18 previous route races before Sunday’s Longacres Mile Handicap.
Void of speed as usual, Wasserman was some 12 lengths off the lead as Flamethrowintexan carved fast fractions of :22 1/5, :44 3/5 and 1:09 flat.
Wasserman rallied outside on the last turn, quickly picking off the back markers, but still had much work to do in the stretch. He straightened into the lane with only Tropic Storm and True Metropolitan left to catch, and then closed the gap with every stride until finally nailing them in the final jumps.
“I still can’t believe we won,” said jockey Jennifer Whitaker, who grew up in Snohomish and began her riding career in 2000. “I will have to watch it about 10 times on the replay to really believe it.”
Howard Belvoir, a fixture in Washington racing for over 40 years, also was thrilled to win his first Longacres Mile.
“The thing about this horse is he tries every time,” Howard Belvoir said of Wasserman. “This is a very exciting day for me and the industry in this state.”
Named for Peter Wasserman, a Seattle oncologist, who treated Belvoir’s girlfriend Vicki Potter for breast cancer, Wasserman has an 8-9-5 mark from 38 starts with earnings of $415,971. In 2008, he has won four-of-seven for $219,200.
Horse racing news edited from www.emeralddowns.com.
Tags: Assessment, Call On Carson, Diligent Prospect, Flamethrowintexan, Honour the West, Luhuk's Dancer, Nationhood, Schoolin You, Southern Africa, Tropic Storm, True Metropolitan, Wasserman
"Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race Results: Wasserman Wins Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs" was posted on Sunday, August 17th, 2008 at 11:12 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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