Win Place Show

Great Thoroughbred action AND Indian Relay Racing this weekend at Emerald Downs! Join us Friday night, Saturday and Sunday for all the exciting races and special events. Indian relay teams in the northern U.S. tier and western Canada refer to the Muckleshoot Gold Cup as the “Big Show” among annual relay events. There have been eight runnings with eight different champions and all former winners are entered this weekend. Gayle Skunkcap Jr., broadcaster and publicist for Indian relay racing, joins Joe and Vince to speak to this weekend’s action as well as history behind the event. Skunkcap, based out of...

Get your Fab Friday T-Shirt this Friday at Emerald Downs! Racing June 6 at 7 pm and with your paid admission (half-price $5.00!) receive the valuable T-Shirt which gets you free admission on all subsequent Fridays in 2025. It’s Vince and Track President Phil Ziegler this week with Joe a little under the weather. Ziegler speaks to great start at 2025 meeting, while guests include top Belmont Stakes handicapper Anthony Stabile and Secretariat author Patricia McQueen.

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The season’s off to a great start with more racing this Saturday and Sunday at Emerald Downs! This is the final two-day racing week for 2025 with the first “Half-Price Friday” set for June 6. That’s T-Shirt day, too. Also, it’s Grandparents Weekend with prize drawings both Saturday and Sunday. Will the video go viral again? Nina Hagen joins Joe and Vince this week. With husband Ron, they have operated El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw since the early 1980s. The operation in on a high after fillies sired by Barkley ran one-two in the Monday feature race at Emerald Downs. Sal...

Racing continues to get better every week at Emerald Downs! Entries for the upcoming three-day weekend exceed an average of eight horses per race each day. Saturday is at 9.2 starters per race, a figure not achieved here in many years. Precise Timing, trained by Kay Cooper, is the top horse entered this weekend. Last year’s undefeated Horse of the Meeting goes Monday, Memorial Day, in race 8. Owner/breeder Ron Schmid and trainer Mike Morris join Joe and Vince. Schmid has been an active owner since Emerald Downs opened and has his homebred, Dynamic Dee Dee, in a maiden race th...

More horses, more horsemen, better racing at Emerald Downs in 2025! This weekend is no exception with two-time Washington Horse of the Year Slew’s Tiz Whiz set to make his seasonal debut in the Saturday feature race at six furlongs. Slew’s Tiz Whiz has five EmD stakes victories, tied at the top with Aloha Breeze among active runners. Papa’s Golden Boy has four stakes wins here and he’ll meet Slew’s Tiz Whiz for the ninth time. Crowds and wagering handle are up at Emerald Downs through the first three weekends. This Saturday and Sunday, it’s Teacher Appr...

It’s Mother’s Day weekend at Emerald Downs! Great racing and prizes for the gals both Saturday and Sunday. All women are eligible for prize drawings – seven winners on each day. First race goes at 1:50 pm. An added Mother’s Day tradition at the track – a mare with her young foal to parade in front of the crowd. Racing is definitely on the upgrade at Emerald Downs this year. With eight races on Saturday and 10 on Sunday, plenty of excitement is expected. Field-size will be up this year, leading to better business all around. Paul Beattie of elisportsnetwork.com joins Joe...

Day #2 of live racing at Emerald Downs is Kentucky Derby Saturday! Gates open on the 5th Floor for simulcasting at 7:30 am while gates open for live racing at the earlier time of 11 am. First live race goes at 1:50 while all can watch the 151st Derby on the infield big screen just before 4 pm. Wear a decorative hat, women and men, to be eligible for prizes in the annual Derby Day Hat Contest. Jon White and Anthony Stabile. Both are knowledgeable, big race handicappers. They’ll both join Joe and Vince with their look at the Derby. Dan Jukich speaks to th...

See you at Emerald Downs for Opening Day, this Sunday, April 27! First race goes at 1:50 pm. We’ll have the traditional jockey introductions in the Paddock prior to the first race. Horse players take note of the low 12% takeout on Pick-3 wagers plus another year of penny breakage – both of those lead to higher payouts on winning bets. Tickets for all racing days are available at emeralddowns.com. Jockey Frank Alvarado and DRF writer Mike Seeley join Joe and Vince on this edition of the pod. Alvarado, with over 4,000 career victories, has been a Bay Area stalwart for over 20 years. He’s...

Getting ever closer to Emerald Downs Opening Day, Sunday, April 27! First race goes at 1:50 pm. Horse players take note of the low 12% takeout on Pick-3 wagers plus another year of penny breakage – both direct higher payouts on winning bets. The Snoqualmie Casino sports book adds horse racing action to its menu beginning this Saturday, April 19. wns.com. Joining Joe and Vince this week is veteran jockey Francisco Duran. Hear his interesting career journey of not growing up in a horse or racing family. With many good seasons behind him, including success at Emerald Downs, he’s ready for the new meet...

Emerald Downs Opening Day is just around the corner, Sunday, April 27! First race goes at 1:50 pm to begin our 30th season of Thoroughbred racing. We’re looking forward to a great meeting with a significant increase in the horse population and, coming with that, new and more trainers and jockeys. Purchase tickets for any and all days at emeralddowns.com. Joining Joe and Vince as guests on this podcast are Anthony “Big A” Stabile and Johnny Taboada. Stabile takes a detailed look at this weekend’s top three-year-old stakes and you won’t want to miss his detailed analysis. Taboada has become...

Just six weeks away to Emerald Downs 30th Opening Day! Make plans to come out on Sunday, April 27 for the 2025 lid-lifter. Track President Phil Ziegler and trainer Howard Gibson join Joe and Vince on this edition of Horseracing NW. Ziegler looks to build on last year’s successful mark of a more than 10% increase in attendance with a revamped stakes schedule and several tried and true promotions Gibson, who’s been a top assistant to Tim McCanna, Frank Lucarelli and Vince Gibson in recent years, is in the top 10 at Turf Paradise and his EmD stable totals 20 head. Next week, go t...

Please show your support to Olympia for HB 1703 and SB 5610 for financing critical to racing’s future in Washington. Those bills can offset significant upcoming costs of HISA regulations. Jon White joins Joe and Vince to speak to the national three-year-old picture, less than three months out before this year’s Kentucky Derby. Pool Four of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is in effect this weekend, closing Sunday at 3 pm. Emerald Downs now has Las Margs Café in the stable area with first day of operations on Monday, Feb. 24. After the first week, regular hours will be 7 am to 2 pm, Wedne...

With the calendar turned to 2025, Emerald Downs is gearing up for its 30th season of Thoroughbred racing, Opening Day on Sunday, April 27. Horses begin training on the track on Monday, February 24. Another date to note is Saturday, February 22. That evening, horse and human achievements of 2024 are recognized at the WTBOA Awards Banquet, open to the public. Washington Hall of Fame trainer Tim McCanna and Turfway Park Track Announcer Tony Calo join Joe and Vince on this edition of Horseracing NW. McCanna, 10-time training titlist at EmD, figures to have a stronger local presence this season. Calo calls the races Wednesday-Saturday...

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from Emerald Downs! The track is closed Christmas day but otherwise is open seven days a week for full card simulcasting. Join us for the opening of Santa Anita at 11 am on Thursday, Dec. 26. Check out a great 2025 season pass offer at emeralddowns.com. Trainer Mike Puhich joins Joe & Vince to speak about the monumental contributions of Dr. Mark Dedomenico, who passed earlier this month. Dr Dedomenico had decades of significant contributions to Washington racing, the highlight of which was the opening of Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation Center in Redmond in 2005. Puhich has been Director of...

Trainer Blaine Wright Joins the Show - Episode #139 by emeralddowns.com

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It’s Breeders’ Cup weekend and Emerald Downs is your best option to watch and wager on this year’s main event. Gates open at 8:30 am on Friday and 8:00 on Saturday. It’s first-come, first-served seating on the Fifth Floor each day. On Saturday, the Third Floor is also open as well as the Third Floor bar. Have a great Breeders’ Cup! Jon White and Anthony Stabile add their handicapping and historical expertise to this week’s Horseracing NW. Both are welcome regulars on each year’s Breeders’ Cup podcast. Joe and Vince have the usual sport shorts, selections and trivia (Vince sh...

This week’s show includes an interview with the current #6 rated jockey in the world, Christophe Lemaire. Lemaire has been dominant in Japan for several years and is renowned from successes world-wide. He’s involved with furthering interest in racing through hip-hop music with EmD owner Greg Conley and others. Also, trainer Tom Wenzel remembers beloved groom Darrell LaFrance, who passed away last month after eight decades in the sport. It’s off-season mode at Emerald Downs and full card simulcasting continues, seven days a week. The 2024 Breeders’ Cup is just three weeks away, Nov. 1-2. The Fifth Floor will open ear...

It’s a wrap! The 2024 season came to a close with an outstanding closing day card and an exciting Gottstein Futurity. Colonel Ludlow took the top two-year-old race over stablemate A Thousand Miles. Leading trainer Justin Evans had more season-ending titles with Top Sprinter Neiman, Top Older Horse Arma d’Oro and Top Claimer Surprsinglyperfect, as well as Top Juvenile Colonel Ludlow. Join Joe and Vince along with guest John Lindley as they detail the top efforts at Emerald Downs during the 2024 meeting. At the top of the list, Alex Cruz’s unprecedented fifth consecutive local riding title. Carlos Montalvo and To...

It’s closing weekend for the 2024 Emerald Downs season! Racing Friday night at 7:30, Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 pm. Saturday is “Fan Appreciation Day,” with free admission for all. Sunday, closing day, has meet honorees recognized throughout the card despite several categories still up the air. Those categories will be decided by the Gottstein Futurity, Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and Washington Cup Filly and Mare race. Alex Cruz will win his unprecedented fifth consecutive Emerald Downs riding title, congratulations! Cruz won in his first season here, 2020, and is well ahead this year en route to that fifth straight jockey championship. The show includ...

Emerald Downs heads into the final two weekends of the 2024 meeting and it’s Oktoberfest for the fans this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Wear Oktoberfest garb for free admission this weekend and that will also get you a reduced price on German beer at beverage stands. Live Bavarian themed music all weekend as well. Petra Lewin, co-owner and breeder of Blazingbellablu, joins Joe and Vince on this week’s show. Blazingbellablu, 2021 Washington Horse of the Year and three times divisional champion, is now retired. Lewin relates details of the mating that produced Blazingbellablu, events of her career and the great mare...

Sunday is Italian Day at Emerald Downs! Italian food, music, beer and drinks are the fare along with Tony LaStella, the Sorelli’s Pizza Eating Contest and a bocce ball tourney. Saturday has $1 specials all around the track including hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream, soda pop, doughnuts and muffins. First race on Saturday and Sunday goes at 1:30. The theme this week on “Horseracing NW,” is lifelong care of the Thoroughbred race horse. Owner Victor Bahna has written “Heliacal Star,” a novel about an at-risk runner and his cloudy future. There’s plenty of intrigue in this thriller. Bahna will be selling his...

Saturday is Ladies Day at Emerald Downs! Free admission for all gals with beverage specials and prize drawings, too. Sunday is Wiener Dog day, the canines that began the trend of entertainment between Thoroughbred races. Speaking of Thoroughbreds, take a look at the racing at Emerald Downs scheduled for this weekend, much great action headed by the first two Washington Cup events on Sunday. More Mile talk! The 2024 Longacres Mile will go down in history as one of the most memorable, dramatic and exciting in the many decades of the race. Scott Hanson of the Seattle Times and winning trainer...

The Mile was memorable! The 89th Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs provided the highest level of drama for a Thoroughbred horse race. Five Star General brought back a great story and delivered even more by edging Clovisconnection right on the wire. Five Star General became the just the fourth back-to-back winner in race history. Winning owner Ken Alhadeff joins Joe and Vince to recap a great day at Emerald Downs. Also joining this week’s show is WTBOA President Dana Halvorson. He gives highlights and details regarding next Tuesday’s WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale. Horses go to auction at 1 pm and...

Make plans to be at Emerald Downs Sunday for the 89th running of the Longacres Mile! This year’s race features the past two winners – Five Star General (2023) and Slew’s Tiz Whiz (2022) among the full gate of 12 middle distance specialists. The Mile goes as race nine at approximately 6 pm. The Mile is the final leg in an all-stakes Pick-4 wager. John Lindley of Parker’s joins Joe and Vince to go over Mile field. The 2024 class of the Washington Thoroughbred Hall of Fame has their induction ceremony on Saturday at 1 pm. Be here to witness stories on local history. Racing s...

It’s just over a week to the 89th Longacres Mile and that’s a prominent subject on this week’s Horse Racing NW. The past two Mile winners are expected to race – Slew’s Tiz Whiz from 2022 and Five Star General from last year. Special events such as “Breakfast At the Wire,” “The Railbird Rally” and “Dancing at the Downs,” are all upcoming this month at Emerald Downs. Go to emeralddowns.com for more information. Leading trainer Justin Evans joins Joe and Vince and speaks to topics such as his current season, dealing with new horses in the barn and also four nominees...

Fiesta Premio Esmeralda, the highly popular Hispanic summer festival, highlights Saturday and Sunday at Emerald Downs! Lots of fans expected and the dancing horses kick things off on track at 12:30 each day. “Breakfast At the Wire,” morning workout show starts its three Saturday run this week – 8-10 am on Track Level, hosted by Dean Mazzuca. This ‘cast recaps last weekend’s exciting stakes activity, including a dead-heat in the Governor’s between Arma d’Oro and Slew’s Tiz Whiz. Tom Wenzel, trainer of Slew’s Tiz Whiz, joins Joe and Vince and recaps the action, which saw a Wenzel victory in the oth...

A busy weekend at Emerald Downs is topped by a stakes doubleheader! Saturday is the 6 1/2 furlong Irish Day Stakes featuring Miner League, who’s on a four-race winning streak, including the June 16 Auburn Stakes. Miner League meets Whiskeyjack for the first time, who was an impressive allowance winner here July 3. Sunday, 11 three-year-old fillies meet in the Kent Stakes, also at 6 1/2 furlongs. Appeal Factor is the clear favorite, bringing in her unbeaten three-for-three record. Trainer Grant Forster joins Joe and Vince and relates the schedule to defend Five Star General’s Longacres Mile title is alive and well for the August 11 Clas...

Happy Fourth of July from Emerald Downs! Racing resumes this Saturday and Sunday with two-year-old stakes Angie C. and King County Express respectively. We’re just five weekends away from the 89th running of the Longacres Mile and defending champion Five Star General is in action this Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Five Star General is expected to defend his Mile title vs the likes of 2022 hero Slew’s Tiz Whiz and others near and far. Horse owner Jody Peetz joins the group and speaks to the upcoming Hollywood Harbor Sprint Series, beginning on Saturday, July 20. Peetz has both opened her chec...

The annual Fireworks Spectacular is right around the corner! Emerald Downs presents its July 3 evening of entertainment with Thoroughbred racing at 5 pm followed by a tremendous fireworks show afterward. Tickets are still available at emeralddowns.com or through Customer Service at 253-288-7711. Don’t miss the fantastic show, Wednesday, July 3! Top northwest handicapper John Lindley joins Joe and Vince on this week’s show. Lindley is author of his decades long “Parker’s” tip sheet and also provides “Race Notes,” free of charge at emeralddowns.com. Many topics discussed and John joining in on segment 3 with Selections and his own Sport Shor...

Many of the track’s top horses are in action this weekend as Emerald Downs presents the Hastings and Budweiser Stakes at six furlongs. Blazingbellablu tops entrants in Saturday’s Hastings for fillies and mares. She’s been a Washington champion the past three years and won this race in 2023. Fantastic sprinter Aloha Breeze heads the competition, she the winner of two sprint stakes for three-year-old fillies last year. In Sunday’s Budweiser, it’s another meeting of Slew’s Tiz Whiz and Papa’s Golden Boy, the seventh time they’ve gone head-to-head at Emerald Downs. Papa leads the matchup 4-2 and...

It’s three days of great action coming up at Emerald Downs! As well as the Thoroughbreds Friday night and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, there’s Indian Relay Racing all weekend. It’s the Eighth Running of the Muckleshoot Gold Cup with several qualifying heats on Friday and Saturday and the Championships on Sunday. All the great Native culture, music and vendors too, to go along with the great action on the track. This week’s guest, trainer Blaine Wright, has runners in both Thoroughbred stakes this weekend. He’ll saddle Golden Gate allowance winner Arctic Breeze in the Seattle Stakes on...

Emerald Downs has more top horses in action this weekend, the last week before stakes races begin on June 15/16. Sunday’s feature is stakes-quality fillies and mares at 6 furlongs and race #2 is the first two-year-old race of the season. Come out and watch and wager on all the great action from Saratoga on Saturday as that track hosts the Belmont Stakes and the fantastic supporting card. Simulcasting on the Fifth Floor starts at 7 am on Saturday. Fab Fridays continue at Emerald Downs with racing at 7 pm, food and beverage specials and the $1,000 Horseshoe Toss. Bulldog races this Sunday with French an...

Come out for our first Fab Friday! The traditional kickoff is this Friday, May 31, and of course there’s a T-Shirt for all attendees. First race at 7 pm. The T-Shirt is good for free admission on Fridays the rest of the season. It’s also Teachers Appreciation weekend at Emerald Downs. All teachers and school district employees get free admission this Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s race card has 72 horses entered over 8 races. Sunday at Emerald Downs sees the return of two-time defending Washington Horse of the Year, Slew’s Tiz Whiz. The Tom Wenzel-trainee faces multi-year rival Papa’s Golden Boy...

Memorial Day weekend offers Saturday and Sunday action at Emerald Downs, first race each day at 1:30. For fans, fill out the entry blank both days upon entering the track to be eligible for prizes in the “Great Outdoor Giveaway.” It’s also Teacher Appreciation weekend and area teachers and administrators will get their chance on the track in the first “Teacher’s Dash.” Jon White, nearing his induction into the Washington Thoroughbred Hall of Fame this August, just announced his retirement from Santa Anita after working there since 1981. White goes over a few of his hundreds of highlights and milestones of working i...

Joe is a little under the weather, so Track President, Phil Ziegler, steps in to Co-Host with Vince. Trainer, Alexis Silva-Martinez, stops by to talk about Coastal Kid, who had an impressive win in the feature race last Sunday. Promotions Manager, Gary Dougherty, guests on the show to talk about all the promotions and special events this season. This Weekend is a Family Fun Weekend! Plenty of fun activities for the kids, including the Kids Race on the track on Sunday! First race on Saturday & Sunday is @ 1:30pm.

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Double the action, double the good weather at Emerald Downs for Week #2! Two days of great racing coming up this Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12. It was a bit damp on Opening Day last Saturday but spectacular, summer-type weather is predicted for this weekend. Sunday is Mother’s Day and all women attendees are eligible for the traditional prize drawings. Fill out the free entry blank upon arriving. Track President Phil Ziegler joins Joe and Vince this week. He speaks to the upcoming season, improvements for fans over the first day, opportunities for fans to get further involved and some fi...

Opening Day at Emerald Downs is this Saturday, May 4! It’s our 29th opener and the first race goes at 1:30 pm, gates open at 11 am. The Fifth Floor is open even earlier, 7 am, for simulcasting from Churchill Downs and elsewhere. Yes, Opening Day is Kentucky Derby day, too! Guests on the ‘cast are Jon White and Anthony Stabile and Joe and Vince couldn’t have better big-race handicappers. They’ll make their Derby analyses and selections. Attendees on Saturday can enter the Hat & Best-Dressed Contest. Stop by Customer Service on Track Level to enter for a total of $1,000 in prizes. Have and...

Penny breakage at Emerald Downs for 2024! Help for the horseplayer, more money returned on wagers through the breakage reduction from 0.10% to zero. A wager that paid $6.40 last year will pay up to $6.59 this year. Also, extremely low 8% takeout on Pick 6 and Pentafecta wagers. Opening Day is Saturday, May 4! Joe Bianca, from West Point Thoroughbreds and host of “Rail Talk” podcast, joins Joe and Vince. Bianca praised Emerald Downs on the new breakage level and speaks to that and his racing history and current job. Also a guest is the “Big A,” Anthony Stabile, who begins his new job as Track Announce...

Come to Emerald Downs on Saturday and root for Lonesome Boy in the $750-k Wood Memorial at Aqueduct! Lonesome Boy is the first Washington-bred to race in the Wood since Smokin Mel finished third in 1997. John Parker, top owner at EmD in six of the past nine seasons, campaigns Lonesome Boy, a son of Nationhood. Parker and family will make the trip for the big event. The race goes at 1:05 pm, EmD time. Parker joins Joe and Vince on this special edition of Horseracing NW. Lonesome Boy has won at Aqueduct in January and followed that with a stakes victory...

Jockey Carlos Montalvo had an outstanding 2023, first season at Emerald Downs. He tied for leading stakes jockey with Jose Zunino, each with four added-money triumphs. Montalvo joins Joe and Vince and speaks to the challenges of coming to a new venue, first season successes, his travels as a race rider, family and more. There’s also news, Sports Shorts, trivia on Horseracing NW.

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