Emerald Downs will host the 74th running of the Longacres Mile on Sunday (6 p.m., Fox Sports Northwest, KJR 950 AM).

The race – which is currently a Grade III $300,000 Breeders’ Cup Qualifying race with a guaranteed spot in the $1,000,000 Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park in California – has come a long way since 1935 when Joe Gottstein announced that Longacres race track would feature the $10,000 Longacres Mile as an attempt to put Washington thoroughbred horse racing on the map nationally.

At 5:10 p.m., Aug. 24, 1935 the first Longacres Mile ran with longshot Coldwater taking home first place.

Since then the race has provided Washington horses with a chance to measure themselves against top horses from California and elsewhere.

In addition, the race has provided many milestones along the way.

In 1941, Campus Fusser became the first Washington-bred mile winner.

In 1943, for the only time in its history, the Longacres Mile was not run because of a World War II blackout.

Amble In became the first horse to win two Longacres Mile races in 1948. Amble In also won in 1946.

In 1981, 25,031 spectators were on hand to watch Trooper Seven become the first ever back-to-back winner of the Mile, capping a perfect five-for-five season for the 5-year-old Washington-bred colt.

In 1989, Simply Majestic is the second horse to win consecutive Longacres Mile races.

After finishing third in 2007, Wasserman, ridden by Jennifer Whitaker, captured the Mile title in 2008.