Assessment made a powerful statement Friday evening at Emerald Downs with a half-length victory over Margo’s Gift in the $20,000 allowance feature before a throng of fans on opening night of the track’s 14th season.
The Great Face and Wasserman – winners of the last two Longacres Miles – finished third and fourth in the five-horse field of older handicap stars.
With Emerald Downs’ all-time leading rider Gallyn Mitchell aboard, Assessment ran 5½ furlongs in 1:02 2/5 and paid $11.80, $5.40 and $3. Margo’s Gift, ridden by Ricky Frazier, finished second and paid $5 and $2.60. The Great Face, Juan Gutiierez, riding, paid $2.40 for show.
Assessment swept past The Great Face past mid stretch and then was all out to hold off the hard-charging Margo’s Gift. The Great Face was another neck back in third, while Wasserman – who broke on top under Jennifer Whitaker – failed to muster his usual rally and finished fourth.
Racing for the first time since his victory in the 2007 Longacres Mile, The Great Face broke slowly and then was hustled to the lead, setting splits of :22 1/5 and :44 4/5 seconds while maintaining the lead into the lane. Assessment rallied to his outside and Margo’s Gift slipped through on the inside, and those three battled to the wire with Assessment proving slightly best.
Mitchell, the only jockey to ride all 14 seasons at Emerald Downs, was thrilled with Assessment’s race.
“Someone asked me earlier today if I had an older horse in the stakes division,” Mitchell said. “Well, I do now.”
Assessment finished fourth in the 2008 Longacres Mile but was overshadowed by his stable mate, Wasserman, the 2008 Horse of the Meeting who won a record four stakes in photo finishes.
“This is a really nice horse,” Belvoir said of Assessment. “It just seemed like he had some bad luck every time he raced.”
A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Jump Start, Assessment has a 4-1-3 record form 19 starts and $109,980 in purses. The dark bay gelding last won on May 31, and finished fourth in four stakes last year.
As for Wasserman, Belvoir said the gelding might have been a little too fresh in his comeback.
“He broke on top, and he looked like he showed too much speed,” he said.
Notes: Belvoir saddled three winners on the eight-race card and has won a record 13 races on opening nights….Mitchell now has 1,060 career victories at Emerald Downs…Juan Gutierrez was the only jockey with two wins, scoring on a pair of Belvoir runners—Rock Hard Rogue ($15.20) in the fourth and Shannyn’s Pride ($13) in the nightcap…It was a great night for the female riders as apprentice Cassie Papineau scored in the season-opener aboard Gavel ($7.60), Kate Repp was victorious in the third on Red Redding ($10.60) and Portland Meadows riding champion Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo prevailed on Devine Style ($21.20) in the sixth…Congratulations to new Daily Racing Form handicapper Nick Rousso for tabbing Gavel in his first selection for the paper. Rousso replaces the beloved Dennis Dodge, who died suddenly last September….Opening week action continues Saturday with first post at 2 p.m.
Emerald Downs’ media relations staff supplied this report.
