Twelve horses were nominated to the $35,000 Portland Mile which will be run on Labor Day, Monday September 3rd at Portland Meadows.
The track’s marquee event, this year will be the 47th running of Oregon’s most historic race. Headlining the nominations was the winner of the 2011 Portland Mile Deacon Speakin’ for owner Paul Hagemann and trainer Steve Fisher. Deacon Speakin’ dominated the 2011 edition of the race under jockey Juan Gutierrez, scoring an upset that day at odds of 13 to 1. That was his only career race at Portland Meadows as he’s been primarily racing in Northern California since then, competing in higher claiming races and allowances. The 6 year old has won 6 times in his career, and banked over $164,000 in his 50 races.
When We Met has been nominated by trainer Felimon Alvarado and exits a pair of $50,000 stakes efforts on the Northern California Fair circuit. He won three starts back in a $62,500 Optional Claiming event at Golden Gate and has been ridden regularly by Portland Meadows second leading rider Anne Sanguinetti.
“He’s really a hard trying horse,” said Sanguinetti. “I started galloping him in the mornings when I first came back to California, and the opportunity came up to ride him in the afternoons, and we’ve had some great success.”
Shamundi and Memo to Mya both come out of the Inaugural Handicap at Portland Meadows back on Opening Day July 15th. Shamundi won the Inaugural with a late closing kick over So Gone and Memo to Mya who finished second and third after an intense speed duel. Shamundi most recently finished fifth in a $17,500 claiming event at Emerald Downs, a race won by Grade 3 winner Wasserman. Memo to Mya shipped over to her native Idaho and rattled off a pair of stakes wins, including a score in the $20,000 Idaho Cup Classic at Les Bois Park on August 11th.
Trainer Terry Gillihan has nominated Candy for Debbie who has been competing well against high level claimers at Emerald Downs. Gillihan won the Portland Mile back in 2005 with Demon Warlock. Candy for Debbie is owned by Buffalo Stables and has been ridden this at Emerald this year exclusively by Eliska Kubinova.
Swiss Exploit is also nominated and just might enjoy the return to two turns, as he was last season’s winner of the Route Claiming Series. He swept through the three race series of long distance events and was nominated to this race after a disappointing fifth place finish going five furlongs. He won his seasonal debut at Portland Meadows this year, which was a mile event.
Cody’s a Bobcat, Court Mischief, Dare Me Devil, Hip Hop City, Lesson in Deceit and See Ya Later Slew complete the nominations for the Portland Mile.
The Labor Day card on September 3rd will be a special Monday of live racing with a first post at 1pm. Nominations were also taken for five undercard stakes, all worth $10,000. For a complete list of nominees for all the stakes events on September 3rd and past performances for those races, click on the link below.
http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaSNHW.cfm?trk=PM
