Emerald stakes slate topped by Grade 3 Longacres Mile
AUBURN, Wash. – Emerald Downs unveiled its 2016 stakes schedule this week, a slate of 28 added-money events worth $1.62 million in purses and headlined by the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile on Aug. 14.
The Emerald Downs stakes program includes five races for older horses, five for fillies and mares, five for 3-year-olds, five for 3-year-old fillies, and seven for 2-year-olds, in addition to the $55,000 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge for Quarter Horses.
Among the new wrinkles this year: an all-stakes pick four on Mile Preview Day, July 17, and a Monday evening stakes, the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap for older horses, when Emerald celebrates its 20th birthday June 20.
Also new for 2016, officials at Emerald and Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, British Columbia, worked together to coordinate their respective stakes schedules, encouraging participation between the neighboring tracks. Hastings, about 165 miles north of Emerald, has a 53-day meeting from April 17 to Oct. 16. Emerald’s 70-day meeting opens April 9 and closes Sept. 11.
“It’s very balanced, offering equal opportunities in every division,” Phil Ziegler, Emerald Downs president, said of the stakes schedule. “Staggering our schedule with Hastings Racecourse will add opportunities for all our trainers, owners, jockeys and produce better races for the fans to watch and wager on.”
Mile Preview Day will feature the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap for older horses and the $50,000 Boeing Handicap for fillies and mares, along with the meeting’s first two stakes for 2-year-olds. Washington Cup – six races for Washington-breds offering a total of $300,000 in purses – is on Aug. 28.
2015 Emerald Downs stakes schedule
| DATE | RACE | CONDITIONS | DISTANCE | PURSE |
| Sun., May 8 | Seattle Handicap | 3YO Fillies | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 15 | Auburn Handicap | 3YO C&G | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 22 | Hastings Handicap | 3YO & UP F&M | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 22 | Governor's Handicap | 3YO & UP Open | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 29 | Irish Day Handicap | 3YO Fillies | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 5 | Coca-Cola Handicap | 3YO C&G | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 19 | WA State Legislators | 3YO & UP F&M | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Mon., June 20 | Budweiser Handicap | 3YO & UP Open | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 26 | Kent Handicap | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 3 | Seattle Slew Handicap | 3YO C&G | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 17 | Mt. Rainier Handicap | 3YO & UP Open | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 17 | Boeing Handicap | 3YO & UP F&M | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 17 | Angie C | 2YO Fillies | 5 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 17 | Emerald Express | 2YO C&G | 5 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 24 | Washington Oaks | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/8M | $65,000 |
| Sun., July 31 | Emerald Downs Derby | 3YO Open | 1 1/8M | $65,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 7 | WTBOA Lads | 2YO C&G | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 7 | Barbara Shinpoch | 2YO Fillies | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 14 | Emerald Distaff | 3YO & UP F&M | 1 1/8M | $65,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 14 | Longacres Mile (G3) | 3YO * UP | 1M | $20,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 21 | BOA Emerald Championship Challenge (QH) | 3YO & UP Open | 440YDS | $55,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 28 | WA CUP 2YO Fillies | 2YO Fillies* | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 28 | WA CUP 2YO C&G | 2YO C&G* | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 28 | WA CUP 3YO Fillies | 3YO Fillies* | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 28 | WA CUP 3YO | 3YO Open* | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 28 | WA CUP F&M | 3YO & UP F&M* | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 28 | Muckleshoot Tribal Classic | 3YO & UP F&M* | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 11 | Gottstein Futurity | 2YO Open | 1 1/16M | $65,000 |
*State-bred