It's Doo-Dah Time At Emerald Downs Friday

Live horse racing returns to the Valley Friday night as Emerald Downs opens for its 75-day season.

Director of Racing Bret Anderson reports 860 horses on the grounds—up 41 horses from the same date last year. Two of the track’s top older handicap horses—Winning Machine and Makors Finale—are progressing nicely and could meet in a $21,000 allowance race at 5 ½ furlongs on Sunday, April 28.

The season continues through September 29, with live racing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and special Monday holiday racing on Memorial Day, May 27, and Labor Day, September 2. A new Friday post time of 6:45 p.m. will be in effect throughout the season while weekend and holiday first post remains 2 p.m.

The traditional Fireworks Spectacular is set for Wednesday, July 3, with a special 4:30 p.m. post time, followed by the only Thursday card of the season on July 4.

Anderson has composed a 29-race, $1.54 million stakes schedule that showcases the track’s top performers in six divisions.

The centerpiece, of course, is the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) for 3-year-olds and up on Sunday, August 18. The Mile features the top middle-distance horses on the West Coast matching strides in the 78th running of the Northwest’s premier Thoroughbred event.

In the jockeys’ ranks, Juan Gutierrez will be favored to win a second straight riding title and could reach a career milestone on opening weekend. Gutierrez, who rode 117 winners in 2012, needs just five wins to join Gallyn Mitchell as the only jockeys with 1,000 wins at Emerald Downs.

Other top 10 riders back from last year are Rocco Bowen, Javier Matias, Leonel Camacho-Flores, Debbie Hoonan, Jennifer Whitaker and Jose Zunino. Mitchell, the only jockey to ride every season at Emerald Downs, looks to rebound from a career-low 25 win season in which he missed the final six weeks with a hand injury. Eliska Kubinova, the record-setting apprentice who finished third overall with 75 wins, also returns but must ride without the apprentice weight allowance.

Race 1: The meet begins with 3-year-old maiden claimers racing the abbreviated distance of five furlongs for a $20,000 claiming price. Speed horses dominate these events, especially early in the meet, a stat that plays into the hands of both Ryans Argument and Private Password. First-time starter Southern Solution is related to three four-time winners and blew out nicely for this race, while Big Question goes for the very potent combination of trainer Chris Stenslie and jockey Juan Gutierrez. The defending riding champion, Gutierrez rode 117 winners last year and was 15-for-27*56 percent*when riding for Stenslie.

Race 2: Maiden 3-year-old Washington-bred fillies race five furlongs for a $7,500 tag in the second half of the early double. Gallyn Mitchell, the track’s all-time leader with 1,347 wins, returns to action after missing the final two months of 2012 with a broken hand. Mitchell rides first-time starter Full Service for trainer Tom Wenzel (Mitchell and Wenzel are a combined 65-for-277 at Emerald Downs). Eliska Kubinova, who rode a record 75 winners as an apprentice last year, rides her first race here without the bug on the speedster Corrinas Seeker for 2012 training champion Frank Lucarelli.

Race 3: Among the newcomers to the jockey colony is 31-year-old David G. Lopez, whose 12-year riding career includes 1,040 victories and a triumph on long shot Summers Peace in the 2011 Washington State Legislators Stakes. In this race, a $2,500 claimer for older fillies and mares at 5-½ furlongs, Lopez ride Courtney’s Prize for trainer Robbie Baze. Baze won a race opening night last year with Allison Ridge.

Race 4: In the training ranks, newcomer Jeff Metz invades from Turf Paradise with 25 runners including Fastest, a 4-year-old California-bred gelding that debuts in this $5,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-olds and up at 5-½ furlongs. Anne Sanguinetti, who rode four winners here on closing weekend last year, will ride many of the Metz horses including Fastest. Speaking of women riders, as usual there is no shortage of female jockeys with Kubinova, Sanguinetti, Jennifer Whitaker, Debbie Hoonan, Connie Doll and apprentice Maggie Hardison all with mounts opening night. Cassie Papineau, who rode 70 winners as an apprentice in 2009, also returns and has her first mount Saturday.

Race 5: This is the same condition as Race 3, eight older fillies and mares at 5-½ furlongs. Fitness is a major handicapping factor in early season races at Emerald Downs, and that bodes well for the speedy Turf Paradise invader Birdie Girl, who shortens up after a good recent try at six furlongs.

Race 6: A field of nine 3-year-olds and up race 5-½ furlongs for a $5,000 claiming price. Wild Hoss, Orlando Xpress and Mr. Top Kat were all double winners last year, and Bleu Tarp set a track record of :45.78 in an 870-yard Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse mixed race. Ronald Richard, a 24-year-old Louisiana native, rides six horses Friday in his Emerald Downs debut, including Orlando Xpress for trainer Doris Harwood.

Race 7: The opening night feature is a 5-½ furlong sprint for fillies and mares that are non-winners of two races lifetime. Tim McCanna, No. 1 all-time with 848 training wins, sends out She’s a Time Bomb, and Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett, the track’s all-time leading owner with 222 wins, is owner and breeder of Way to Go Lo. John Lindley, who provides free Trip Notes in the Racing section at emeralddowns.com, owns She’s a Time Bomb.

Race 8: The nightcap is another 5 ½-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up that have not won a race since October 1. The nine-horse field has 41 career wins at Emerald Downs, led by nine from the 8-year-old veteran Havin a Good Day. Isaias Enriquez, rider of Win Photos Will Do, is another newcomer worth following; the 39-year-old Tijuana native has been a mainstay the last few years in New Mexico, and before that rode in California where he rode stakes winners for John Sadler and the late Richard Matlow.

Key Stake Dates:

Sun May 19      $50,000      Governor’s Handicap (3&UP) 6-½ F
Sun June 16      $50,000      Budweiser Handicap (3&UP) 1M
Sun July 7         $50,000      Boeing Handicap (3&UP F&M) 1M
Sun July 21       $50,000      Mt. Rainier Handicap (3&UP) 1-1/16M
Sun Aug 11       $65,000      Emerald Downs Derby (3YO) 1-1/8M
Sun Aug 18       $65,000      Emerald Distaff (3&UP F&M) 1-1/8M
Sun Aug 18       $200,000    Longacres Mile (G3) (3&UP) 1M
Sun Aug 25       $50,000      Barbara Shinpoch Stakes* (2YO F) 6-½ F
Sun Sep 1         TBA            Bank of America Chmp Challenge**(3&UP)

Sun Sep 8        $50,000      Muckleshoot Tribal Classic (3&UPWA) 1 1/16M

Sun Sep 29        $75,000      Gottstein Futurity* (2YO) 1-1/16M

Sun Sep 29        $50,000      NWSS Cahill Road Stakes* (2YO) 6F

Also this year, Emerald Downs will host a basketball tournament that is expected to attract players from throughout the Pacific Northwest. EmD3-ON-3 debuts August 10-11 on 30 courts in the north parking lot, and for a $120 entry fee each team is guaranteed at least three games. The tournament is being modeled after the enormously successful Hoopfest in Spokane, which attracts over 25,000 players annually to the Inland Empire.

Parking and General Admission Information

New to Horse Racing Information

**Note - information for this story was provided by the Emerald Downs Media Relations