Assessment wins the Longacres Mile

Gallyn "Booger" Mitchell had hugs, fist bumps and kisses for anyone near him after he guided Assessment to a come-from-behind victory in Sunday's $300,000 Grade III Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

But he saved the biggest hug — and the garland of victory flowers — for around the neck of his wife, Denise, who met him in the winner's circle after the 74th running of the premier Thoroughbred race in the Pacific Northwest.

Denise had been smiling and shedding tears since Assessment crossed the finish line in 1 minute, 33-2/5 seconds, three-quarters of a length ahead of Awesome Gem, the California import and favorite in the race. When that hug and garland fell around her neck, the happiness of the two seemed complete.

And it spread around the large crowd gathered to be in the victory photo.

There was Howard Belvoir, winning trainer for the second year in a row.

Owners Lou and Diane Tice were celebrating their first Mile win after three decades of owning race horses. In the draw for race positions, Diane had drawn No. 12, which seemed unlucky since no horse had won the Mile from there since 1935, when Coldwater won the first running in a field of 16. But the Tices, both born in 1935, saw it as a good omen.

And there was Denise, Gallyn's wife of 23 years and his jockey agent since 1995. She was speechless, but Gallyn had good things to say about Assessment, son of Jump Start out of Native Ghost and a grandson of Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner.

"The horse has been running his eyeballs out," Mitchell said. "I peeked up and saw the leaders were going pretty fast. Before I knew it I was running them down. Assessment is a dream to ride."

Assessment, a 5-year-old gelding at 7-1, paid $16.60, $7.20 and $5.20. Awesome Gem, with Russell Baze aboard, paid $3.80 and $2.80. Teide, a Canadian shipper with Chad Hoverson aboard was third and paid $5.60.

Belvoir, who won the Mile last year with Wasserman, said they had an even better trip than anticipated from the 12 spot.

"We figured Atta Boy Roy, Sierra Sunset and Crafty Power [in posts No. 9 through No. 11] were gonna go for it and we'd get in behind them. But we ended up only two wide when we thought we'd be fortunate to get four wide."

Assessment got to the rail at about the half-mile mark, racing in sixth as the horses were strung out. He angled outside near the five-sixteenths marker and wore down Atta Boy Roy, who had led throughout. Assessment then held off the closing Awesome Gem and Teide.

The win gives Mitchell 60 stakes wins at Emerald Downs, two ahead of Ricky Frazier. It is the second Mile win for Mitchell, who won on Edneator in 2000.

For the second year in a row, the Mile winner is guaranteed a place in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, held this year at Santa Anita on Nov. 7.

Wasserman, who came in fourth Sunday, was not Breeders' Cup eligible last year, and Belvoir calculated it would cost $90,000 to get the horse into the race. Assessment is eligible, but Belvoir still figures it will take $30,000 to make the California trip.

"It's still not cheap to get in," he said. "We'll have to see how Assessment comes back from the race and make some decisions then."

Assessment made $165,000 with his Mile victory. He won the Mount Rainier Handicap on July 26 and the Budweiser Emerald Handicap on June 21 and has career earnings of $355,980.