 EMERALD
DOWNS
 Emerald Downs is a one-mile horse track in Auburn, Washington that features thoroughbred
racing. The racing season typically spans from April to September each year.
This 167-acre facility, located midway between Seattle and Tacoma in the Auburn
valley, features a state-of-the-art, six level stadium with a commanding view
of the entire one-mile racing oval.
Nestled under the shadow of world-famous Mount Rainier, Emerald Downs has
established itself as the premier thoroughbred racing venue in the Pacific
Northwest. Among the big stakes events it has hosted is the Longacres Mile,
the riches stakes race west of Chicago and north of the Bay Area. Other big
events hosted are the Mt. Rainier Breeders’ Cup, Washington Breeders’ Cup
Oaks, Emerald Breeders Cup Derby and the Gottstein Futurity.
Emerald Downs Track Facts
| Main
Track |
: |
one
mile, oval |
| Distance
from last turn to finish line |
: |
990 feet |
Emerald Downs Track Records
DISTANCE
|
HORSE (Age)
|
WGT.
|
TIME
|
DATE
|
2 furlongs
|
Midnight Cruiser (2)
Adventure Man (2)
|
118
118
|
:46 3/5
|
5/4/00
5/10/00
|
4 1/2 furlongs
|
I.M. Adevil (2)
Pacificat (2)
|
118
118
|
:51 3/5
|
5/30/99
5/21/00
|
5 furlongs
|
Jazzy Mac (5)
Victor Slew (4)
|
98
115
|
:57 2/5
|
8/20/00
8/24/03
|
5 1/2 furlongs
|
Willie The Cat (5)
|
117
|
1:03 4/5
|
4/16/04***
|
6 furlongs
|
Blue Tejano (8)
|
119
|
1:09 1/5
|
6/7/02
|
6 1/2 furlongs
|
Best On Tap (4)
|
119
|
1:31 2/5
|
5/31/04*
|
1 mile
|
Sky Jack (7)
|
121
|
1:36 3/5
|
8/24/03**
|
1 1/16 miles
|
Kid Katabatic (5)
|
123
|
1:43 3/5
|
7/26/98*
|
1 1/8 miles
|
Flying Notes (3)
|
122
|
1:42
|
9/2/02*
|
1 1/4 miles
|
Rapid Stream (7)
|
118
|
1:43 2/5
|
8/15/98
|
1 1/2 miles
|
Keen Line (9)
|
120
|
1:50 4/5
|
9/6/97
|
2 miles
|
Kavil (5)
|
115
|
2:01 2/5
|
11/1/96
|
*State Record
**Ties State Record
***Ties World Record |
History of Emerald Downs
- For many years, the Longacres race course was the premier thoroughbred
race track in the state of Washington. In 1990, its owners, the Alhadeff family,
sold it to Boeing, which since has developed the land. Longacres ran its final
race on September 21, 1992. The overall decline in thoroughbred breeding and
the void left in the state by the closure of Longacres race track helped to
deplete the thoroughbred ranks.
Emerald Downs
Auburn, Washington
- On June 20, 1996, a new era in thoroughbred racing
dawned in Washington with the opening of Emerald Downs in Auburn. Due to
the dormancy of thoroughbred
racing in the state brought about by the closure of Longacres and the subsequent
migration of many owners and trainers to neighboring California, there
weren’t
enough thoroughbreds to regularly fill the twelve post positions the starting
gate at Emerald Downs can accommodate. The pressure to fill fields at the track
led some trainers to push their horses into the starting gate again, or "run
them back," as frequently as once a week.
- In 1997, Emerald Downs spent nearly
a million dollars on surface improvements due to various horse injuries
that were attributed to the old track.
- On April 25, 1998, Emerald Downs welcomed
what is largely believed to have been its largest crowd since its first
opening day, though this is
only an estimate as Emerald Downs does not publicize attendance figures.
|
