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Sarkowsky stayed seated this time

This time, Herman Sarkowsky stayed in his seat. He hadn`t done that during the 1971 running of the Longacres Mile. His horse, Titular II, had what appeared to be a comfortable three-length lead heading into the homestretch, so Sarkowsky left his box at Longacres Park early to beat the rush to the winner`s circle. Big mistake. With 100 yards to go, Titular II caught a glimpse of the starting gate on the Longacres infield. Startled, the gelding broke stride and nearly threw jockey Fernando Alvarez. A disappointed Sarkowsky returned to his seat. His horse finished third.

Sarkowsky would not tempt fate in Sunday`s 70th running of the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. He stayed in his seat until the end. Truth is, he had little reason to leave early. His horse, No Giveaway, was the Mile`s longest shot, going off at 60-to-1. It started from the No. 10 post position and very quickly fell behind in a fast field. But, on an afternoon when track conditions favored strong closers, No Giveaway clawed through traffic along the rail, eventually catching and passing its stablemate, Quiet Cash, just yards from the finish line.

This time, when Sarkowsky got out of his seat, there was no need to turn back. This time, he headed straight to the winner`s circle. A Seattle real estate developer, Sarkowsky is a former part-owner of the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, but horse racing is his passion. Until Sunday, however, he`d gotten precious little satisfaction out of the one race he said he wanted to win more than any other.

"Winning this...would be bigger than the Breeders` Cup," Sarkowsky had said Friday morning before the Longacres Mile draw at Emerald Downs.

Having finally done it, he said, he knew he`d been right about that part.