Longacres Mile

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Sunday’s $300,000 Longacres Mile H. (G3) at Emerald Downs has drawn a full
field of 12, and TRUE METROPOLITAN (Proud and True) appears to be the most
consistent stakes performer in the group. The Terry Jordan charge has finished
no worse than second from his past nine starts, all black-type events, and most
recently put in runner-up efforts in the Dominion Day S. (Can-G3) and Seagram
Cup S. (Can-G3). Honored as Canada’s champion older horse for the past two
seasons, the dark bay six-year-old owns five graded scores and will be starting
in the United States for the first time in three years. True Metropolitan should
take this one on class alone with James McAleney traveling south of the border
for the ride.

TROPIC STORM (Stormy Atlantic) is also a dependable sort, running
off-the-board only twice during his 11-race career. The Craig Dollase-trained
bay has spent much of his career on synthetic tracks, but broke his maiden on
the dirt at Fairplex Park last September. Recently, the four-year-old has run
second in the Ack Ack H. (G3) and third in the Triple Bend Invitational H. (G1),
and will be stretching out to a mile here. That shouldn’t be an issue as he was
third in a Santa Anita allowance/optional claimer while going 1 1/16 miles, and
his BRIS numbers are comparable with the best in this field. Aaron Gryder could
guide Tropic Storm to another graded placing.

WASSERMAN (Cahill Road) brings a home field advantage into this one as he has
spent nearly all of his career racing at Emerald Downs. Trained by Howard
Belvoir, the six-year-old gelding captured the Governor’s H. for the second
straight time two back and just missed by a head in the Mt. Rainier H. most
recently. Third in this race last year, Wasserman could use his experience over
the track to move up a spot with regular rider Jennifer Whitaker in the irons.

NATIONHOOD (Cherokee Run) is another who could use his familiarity with
Emerald Downs to take down a placing. The bay six-year-old has won five of seven
over the track, including the Emerald H. going a mile two back, and has been
working bullets over the track since July. Seth Martinez has the call on the
Mike Chambers trainee. CALL ON CARSON (Lord Carson) was a nose back of Wasserman
in the Governor’s H. but returned to take a starter allowance by 4 3/4 lengths
in front-running fashion. The bay four-year-old will be out for revenge on
Sunday and could fill out the bottom of the exotics under Ricky Frazier. HONOUR
THE WEST (Honour and Glory) is the most lightly raced runner in this bunch,
owning just seven lifetime starts, and has shown steady improvement since making
his seasonal bow in early May. The bay gelding was third in the Mt. Rainier H.
last out and might earn a check if he continues to move forward.

ASSESSMENT (Jump Start) has finished behind Nationhood, Wasserman and Honour
The West in his past three stakes attempts and probably won’t turn that form
around here. LUHUK’S DANCER (Luhuk) was claimed from trainer Carla Gaines’ barn
at Del Mar last out and will be making his first start for Ted West in this
spot. We’ll watch to see how he goes for his new connections while returning to
the dirt. SOUTHERN AFRICA (Cape Town) hasn’t been able to reproduce the form of
his three- and four-year-old seasons in two starts so far this year, and we
don’t think the six-year-old will progress to that point here.

FLAMETHROWINTEXAN (Way West [Fr]) was a neck winner of this race two years
ago,
but will be returning off a more than year vacation this time around and wasn’t
doing so well when concluding his 2007 campaign. We can’t recommend. DILIGENT
PROSPECT (Diligence) and SCHOOLIN YOU (You and I) haven’t been able to win
against local claiming rivals of late. They’re outclassed in this spot.