1/29/2021 (Auburn, WA) State Senator Phil Fortunato of the 31st district has sponsored a bill to help the horse racing industry. The Senate bill SB-5364 will take a piece of the sales tax revenue from the purchase of products and services related to equines and re-invest it into racing and […]
Emerald Downs
Emerald Downs: 2021 Racing Dates Announced
1/12/2021 **Correction: The 10% Purse increase last year was not retroactive, but increased for the final 6 days of racing. (Renton, WA) Emerald Downs officials announced their intended 2021 racing dates on yesterday, we say intended because the dates have been determined based on the current status of COVID-19 rules […]
Emerald Downs: Post Season Awards “The Horses”; Season Re-cap Part 3
11/9/2020 (Auburn, WA) The post season awards have been announced for the 25th Emerald Downs season. We will go through each one and category and in this piece we focus on the horses. Horse of the Meeting, Top 2-year-old Male & Top Washington Bred Dutton This is the 3rd Horse […]
Emerald Downs: Wild and Crazy 25th Season in the Books Part 1
10/30/2020 (Auburn, WA) Just the fact that there was a season is a tribute to everyone in the business from the jockey’s and trainers to the grooms, track crew, Emerald staff, stewards, race office, owners and everyone else involved and they all should be congratulated, well done and a great […]
Emerald Downs: Juan Gutierrez all alone atop the Emerald Win Mountain
10/15/2020 (Auburn, WA) To be the all-time winningest anything is an achievement that few can ever accomplish but in horse racing it’s even more difficult. The nomad nature of the game makes it difficult for a jockey or trainer to be at one track long enough to make a run […]
Emerald Downs: Larry the SportsCats “Betting Parlor” Keep track of your Bets
10/13/2020 “The Betting Parlor” Keep Track of your Bets! (Katlama, WA) Hey gang, well I have to tell you all I couldn’t have imagined this crazy season going as well as it has. Of course I am disappointed that we can not be at the track watching and experiencing the […]
Emerald Downs: 3 Stakes Champions Crowned on Washington Cup Night
10/1/2020 (Auburn, Wa) The 25th season of Emerald Downs remains in the odd schedule they began with on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s except the one week due to smoke. This is an odd opening sentence but the heartiness of the racing industry and folks figured it and got racing started and […]
Emerald Downs: No Surprise in 85th Longacres Mile, Anothertwistafate Wins
9/11/2020 Two more stakes races were on the line in week 12 and none bigger than this with the $100,000 Longacres Mile and the $40,000 Emerald Distaff. Our coverage of both races below. The Longacres Mile Grade 3 $100,000 (Auburn, WA) There were many reasons for something crazy to happen […]
Emerald Downs: Hall of Fame Trainer Ben Harris passes at his home in Selah
9/7/2020 (Selah, WA) Washington State Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer Ben Harris passed away on September 2nd in Selah. Harris is most known for his incredible run in the waning years of Longacres when he teamed up with another Central Washington native George Layman. Layman was looking for a trainer […]
Emerald Downs: Favorites Fall in the Derby and Oaks
9/4/2020 (Auburn, WA) The table was set for the favorites to sweep the Muckleshoot Derby and the Washington Oaks on Thursday night but as the old saying goes…”that’s racing!” It was a perfect night for racing, an early September evening with comfortable temperatures and a perfect track that had seen […]