Emerald Downs was granted its request for an 89-day season in 2004 at a meeting of the Washington Horse Racing Commission on Thursday.
The Emerald season will stretch from Friday, April 16, through Monday, Sept. 20. Racing will be conducted Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the first four weeks of the meeting, after which Thursday racing will be added. Only the last week of the meeting will have five days of racing.
In 2003, Emerald raced 92 days from April 19 through Sept. 22.
ALBANY, Calif. - It's a familiar story: Star gets hurt; understudy steps in; understudy blossoms.
But don't expect jockey Russell Baze to become an historic footnote in jockey David Lopez's career.
No one, not even Lopez himself, expects that he will supplant Baze atop the Golden Gate Fields rider standings. But with Baze sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured right collarbone, Lopez and other Northern California riders figure to benefit by picking up more live mounts in Baze's absence.
MIAMI - Petrina Above has dominated the local filly-and-mare turf sprint division all season. But she could prove a vulnerable favorite when she faces 11 rivals, including old friend Sea Span, in Sunday's $35,000 Bluff's Dividend, an overnight stakes at five furlongs on Calder's grass course.
Petrina Above has posted three victories and a second in four starts against females this year, with two of those wins coming in stakes races. She also finished seventh after steadying several times against males in the Calder Turf Sprint Handicap.
NEW ORLEANS - All year, it's been one step forward and two steps back for Lone Star Sky. For the first time since June 14, Lone Star Sky will step onto the track to compete in a race and take another step in the right direction.
Second to Badge of Silver in the Risen Star Stakes and fourth in the Louisiana Derby, Lone Star Sky regressed in the Illinois Derby, beaten 12 3/4 lengths, and was 15th in the Kentucky Derby. He had just come forward again with a second to Champali in the Northern Dancer at Churchill, when he suffered an injury.
Live Racing at Aqueduct was cancelled after Friday's first race due to a snowstorm in the New York area. Racing at Aqueduct was also cancelled for Saturday with snow accumulations predicted to be nearing one foot.
The $100,000-added Queens County Handicap, scheduled to be run on Saturday afternoon, will instead be reopened to the original nominees, redrawn and run next Saturday, December 13.
Racing at Aqueduct is expected to resume on Sunday with a Pick Six carryover of $20,067.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Three starts after being claimed for $50,000 at Del Mar, Chinkapin will attempt to win his second stakes for his new owners and trainer in Saturday's $150,000 Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park.
So far, Chinkapin, a 7-year-old gelding, is a bargain purchase.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Shalini can rebound from a disappointing performance in the California Cup when she starts in Saturday's $70,000 Hermosa Beach Handicap at Hollywood Park.
To win her fourth stakes of 2003, Shalini must overcome a challenge from nine fillies and mares in the minor handicap at 1 1/2 miles on turf.
NEW ORLEANS - A couple months ago, trainer Gary Palmisano wondered if the age of Coach Rags was drawing to a close. Coach Rags had an answer for him Nov. 28 - no.
With an emphatic 1 1/2-length win in a Louisiana-bred turf allowance, Coach Rags cemented his annual position as the horse to beat in the Louisiana Champions Day Turf, one of seven statebred stakes for Thoroughbreds here Dec. 13.