Emerald Downs: Polticallycorrect, Herbie D head 12-horse cast for Longacres Mile

AUBURN, Wash. – Politicallycorrect, runner-up in a Grade 3 sprint stakes at Saratoga in his last start, drew post position 3 Wednesday morning when entries were taken for Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

Rob Rao, Emerald Downs’ linemaker, installed Politicallycorrect as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, with Herbie D, a romping winner in the final local Longacres Mile prep race, next at 4-1 in a full field of 12. Politicallycorrect and Herbie D will start as co-highweights at 121 pounds.

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Trained by Northwest native Wesley Ward for Kentuckians Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Politicallycorrect has made one previous foray to the West Coast. He spent part of last winter at Santa Anita, where he won the seven-furlong Damascus Stakes and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 103. Efforts such as that one, and his strong second in the seven-furlong James Marvin Stakes at Saratoga on July 19, convinced Ward to ship Politicallycorrect to Emerald Downs. Dennis Ward, the trainer’s father, will saddle Politicallycorrect on Sunday while Ward attends to horses in France.

Herbie D, who has won 7 of 8 starts over the past 22 months, will break from post 10, a potential sticking point with a short run to the first turn. Herbie D has had the lead at the first call in each of his races this year but may have to take a more measured approach with speedy horses Until You, Hoist, Golden Itiz, and Tres Borrachos to his inside.

Stryker Phd, at 8-1 in the morning line, was afforded the best chance among the horses based at Emerald Downs. Second in stakes races in each of his past three starts, the late-running Stryker Phd will start from post 5 with jockey Debbie Hoonan. Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze has the riding assignment on Politicallycorrect, and Amadeo Perez will come in from Vancouver, British Columbia, to pilot Herbie D.

Mr. Bowling and Winning Machine got the worst of the draw in the two outside slots. Mr. Bowling, a graded-stakes winner in Louisiana, was purchased recently by Mark Dedomenico of Redmond, Wash., and Glen Todd of Langley, British Columbia. Todd captured the 2012 Longacres Mile with Taylor Said.

The Longacres Mile field, from the rail out, with jockeys and weights: Until You (Juan Gutierrez, 114), Hoist (Mario Gutierrez, 117), Politicallycorrect (Russell Baze, 121), Gladding (Dennis Carr, 116), Stryker Phd (Debbie Hoonan, 116), Jebrica (Isaias Enriquez, 118), Golden Itiz (Jerry Olguin, 116), Tres Borrachos (David Lopez, 118), Why Not Be Perfect (Anne Sanguinetti, 118), Herbie D (Amadeo Perez, 121), Mr. Bowling (Aaron Gryder, 117), and Winning Machine (Javier Matias, 117).