Longacres Mile tops familiar list of stakes
AUBURN, Wash. – Emerald Downs put the finishing touches on its stakes schedule this week, and it’s a virtual carbon copy of the one from 2014, with 29 stakes races valued at $1.62 million, up from $1.61 million a year ago.
The highlight of the 70-day meeting, which opens April 18, is the $200,000 Longacres Mile, a Grade 3 event for older horses. As usual, a trio of $50,000 stakes will serve as steppingstones to the Mile: The Governor’s Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs May 17, the Budweiser Handicap at one mile June 15, and the Mt. Rainier Handicap at 1 1/16 miles July 19.
The schedule includes 12 stakes for older horses, eight for 3-year-olds, eight for 2-year-olds, and one for Quarter Horses.
Washington Cup XIII – six races for statebreds worth $310,000 – is Sept. 13, with the $60,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for older horses at 1 1/16 miles the marquee event. Quarter Horses will be showcased Sept. 6 in the $60,000 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge at 440 yards.
In November, it was announced that the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe had agreed in principle to acquire Emerald Downs and its assets from the ownership group headed by Emerald founder Ron Crockett. Final licensing and approval from the Washington Horse Racing Commission is still pending.
In a prelude to the expected ownership transfer, Emerald Downs announced in December that overnight purses would increase by about 20 percent this year. By Wednesday, the horse population had swelled to 573, track officials said, a 14 percent increase from the same date a year ago.
2015 Emerald Downs stakes schedule
| Date | Race | Conditions | Distance | Purse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., May 10 | Hastings Handicap | 3YO & UP F&M | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 17 | Governor’s Handicap | 3YO & UP | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 24 | Auburn Handicap | 3YO C&G | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., May 31 | Seattle Handicap | 3YO Fillies | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 7 | Washington State Legislators’ Stakes | 3YO & UO F&M | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 14 | Budweiser Handicap | 3YO & UP | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 21 | Coca-Cola Handicap | 3YO C&G | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., June 28 | Irish Day Handicap | 3YO Fillies | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 5 | Boeing Handicap | 3YO & UP F&M | 1M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 12 | Seattle Slew Handicap | 3YO C&G | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sat., July 18 | Kent Handicap | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 19 | Mt. Rainier Handicap | 3YO & UP | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 19 | Emerald Express | 2YO C&G | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., July 26 | Angie C Stakes | 2YO Fillies | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sat., Aug. 8 | Washington Oaks | 3YO Fillies | 1 1/8M | $65,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 9 | Emerald Downs Derby | 3YO | 1 1/8M | $65,000 |
| Sat., Aug. 15 | WTBOA Lads Stakes | 2YO C&G | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sat., Aug. 15 | Barbara Shinpoch Stakes | 2YO Fillies | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 16 | Emerald Distaff | 3YO & UP F&M | 1 1/8M | $65,000 |
| Sun., Aug. 16 | Longacres Mile (G3) | 3YO & UP | 1M | $200,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 6 | Emerald Championship Challenge | 3YO & UP | 440 YDS | -- |
| Sun., Sept. 13 | Northwest Farms Stakes | 2YO Fillies* | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 13 | Captain Condo Stakes | 2YO C&G* | 6F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 13 | Comcast Sportsnet Stakes | 2YO & UP F&M* | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 13 | Chinook Pass Sprint Stakes | 3YO & UP* | 6 1/2F | $50,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 13 | Pegasus Training Center Stakes | 3YO & UP F&M | 1 1/16M | $50,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 13 | Muckleshoot Tribal Classic | 3YO & UP* | 1 1/16M | $60,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 27 | Gottstein Futurity | 2YO | 1 1/16M | $65,000 |
| Sun., Sept. 27 | NWSS Cahill Road Stakes | 2YO | 6F | $50,000 |
*Washington-breds