Category: EMERALD DOWNS

EMERALD DOWNS ANNOUNCES 2021 RACING DATES

AUBURN, Wash. (January 11) – Emerald Downs has announced a 50-day live racing season in 2021, opening on Wednesday, May 19, and continuing through Thursday, September 23. The 2021 dates were approved during the Washington Horse Racing Commission meeting last week.

Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler is looking forward to running more race days in 2021, “We were successful running Wednesdays and Thursdays last year,” Ziegler said. “Plus, we are planning to add Sunday racing this year during the summer months.”

The stable area opens for horsemen on Monday, March 1, with training beginning Friday, March 5. The 2021 stakes schedule will be announced next month.

STALL APPLICATIONS:

• Barn area and training begins February 1. Opening Day scheduled for April 18.
• Stay at Home order issued on March 16. Only essential workers permitted in stable area as training and horse care continued. Opening Day delayed.
• Approvals to run live racing (and other professional sports) posted by Governor Inslee’s office on June 5.
• Washington Horse Racing Commission approves revised dates. Opening Day set for June 24 with racing Wednesdays and Thursdays without fans.
• June 24 – Opening Day. Horse racing becomes the first professional sport to return in Washington.
• Longacres Mile is run on Thursday, September 10, marking the first weekday running and the first time run under the lights.
• The 38-day race meet concludes on Thursday, October 29.

OH MARVELOUS ME CRUZ’S TO VICTORY

AUBURN, Wash. (Oct. 29, 2020) – Racing came to a close for the 25th season Thursday night at Emerald Downs.

Todd and Shawn Hansen’s Oh Marvelous Me rallied smartly down the stretch to prove best in the $23,3000 allowance race. It was the 8-year-olds second consecutive victory in the final month of the season. The winner paid $7.60 to win and covered the 6 furlongs in 1:08.50.

Leading rider Alex Cruz was in the irons. Cruz upped his streak to 25 consecutive racing cards with at least one victory with a five-win day.

Windribbon finished a good second with the track’s all-time leading rider Juan Gutierrez aboard.

Trainer Blaine Wright’s runners finished first and second with the $1 exacta paying $18.50.

Catfish Hunter checked in third.

The 8/5-betting favorite Papa’s Golden Boy blazed to a huge early lead cutting fractions of :21-1 and :42-4 for the first half mile. Papa’s Golden Boy tired badly in the last furlong to finish last of the six runners.

Cruz set an Emerald Downs record by winning 72 races in the 38-day meeting. The prior best through the first 38 days of a meet was 69 set by Kevin Radke in 2003.

Notes: Thursday’s 11-race handle was $1,937,434.78. The 50-cent Pick 5 paid an all-time high of $44,452.

Results

Race#	Race Type	Purse
Race 1	Allowance Optional Claiming – $40,000	$23,100
Race 2	Claiming – $15,000	$13,200
Race 3	Claiming – $8,000	$9,900
Race 4	Claiming – $2,500	$7,000
Race 5	Maiden Claiming – $15,000	$12,100
Race 6	Claiming – $2,500	$7,040
Race 7	Starter Optional Claiming – $7,500	$13,000
Race 8	Claiming – $2,500	$6,600
Race 9	Claiming – $5,000	$7,480
Race 10	Claiming – $20,000	$17,160
Race 11	Maiden Claiming – $5,000	$7,040

Spot On

SPOT ON POURS IT ON IN WEDNESDAY FEATURE

AUBURN, Wash. (Oct. 28, 2020) – Spot On capped an excellent 2020 season with a dominating 6 ½-length victory Wednesday in the $17,000 feature race for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Eddie Martinez, Spot On ran six furlongs in 1:09.31 on a fast track and paid $7.60 as third choice in the wagering. Frank Lucarelli is the winning trainer for owners Chad Christensen and Josh McKee.

Breaking from the No. 3 post, Spot On dueled with E Z Star Maker through fractions of :21.73 and :44.86, shook clear into the stretch and drew off to win with complete authority.

A 5-year-old Washington-bred by Nationhood-Sudden Departure, Spot On is 3-1-0 in four starts at the meet and 6-4-2 in 19 lifetime starts with earnings of $69,796.

Lucarelli is the meet’s leading trainer with 42 wins and Christensen and McKee top the owners’ standings with 24 wins.

B C Z Middleton rallied to finish second while Stay in Grace, Suddenly Awesome, Close the Show Lo and E Z Star Maker rounded out the order of finish.

Stay in Grace, the 9-to-5 favorite, was bidding for her third straight win and fourth overall at the meeting. Suddenly Awesome is the younger sister of Spot On.

NOTES: Trainer Manny Ortiz and jockey Leslie Mawing clicked for last to first victories with Purely Political ($4.20) in race two and Check and Raise ($12.60) in race five. . .Alex Cruz and Vince Gibson combined for a victory with Fireball Red ($17.20) in race seven and kept alive their respective winning streaks. Cruz has wins on 24 consecutive racing days while Gibson has saddled at least one winner five straight days. . .Cruz also won aboard Mirror Image ($5.60) in race nine and has clinched the riding title with 67 victories. . .Mawing rode three winners overall and has 17 wins in 11 days since arriving from Minnesota last month. . .Javier Matias and Juan Gutierrez also rode a pair of winners and Gutierrez hit the 50-win mark for the season. . .Live racing continues Thursday with an 11-race card on closing day of the 2020 season, including a $3,330 carryover in the $0.20 Jackpot 7. First post 5 p.m.

Results

Race#	Race Type	Purse
Race 1	Starter Optional Claiming – $15,000	$17,000
Race 2	Claiming – $2,500	$6,600
Race 3	Claiming – $3,500	$7,480
Race 4	Claiming – $15,000	$12,650
Race 5	Claiming – $2,500	$7,700
Race 6	Claiming – $2,500	$7,040
Race 7	Claiming – $5,000	$9,680
Race 8	Claiming – $2,500	$6,600
Race 9	Claiming – $3,500	$7,480
Race 10	Starter Optional Claiming – $7,500	$13,000
Race 11	Maiden Claiming – $5,000	$7,040