For the Reporter
Emerald Downs has announced 28 stakes worth $1,620,000 in purses for its 20th anniversary season that begins Saturday, April 9.
Twenty-seven stakes are scheduled on Sundays, beginning with the $50,000 Seattle Handicap for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, May 8 and concluding closing day, Sunday, Sept. 11 with the $65,000 Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds.
The 81st running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile (Grade 3) is the centerpiece of the 70-day meeting, anchoring a Sunday, Aug. 14 double-header that also features the $65,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares.
Some new wrinkles have been added this year including an all stakes Pick Four on Mile Preview Day, Sunday, July 17, and a special Monday evening stakes race – the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap for 3-year-olds and up – when the track officially celebrates its 20th birthday on June 20.
Emerald Downs and Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, B.C., will stagger their respective stakes schedules, encouraging participation between the neighbor tracks while maximizing opportunities for horsemen.
“With Hastings Racecourse, and Emerald Downs working together it can only improve our product at both tracks,” said Darren MacDonald, Hastings Park general manager.
Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler is extremely pleased with the stakes schedule.
“It’s very balanced, offering equal opportunities in every division,” Ziegler said. “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.”
The 2016 stakes schedule offers five races for older horses, five races for older fillies and mares, five races for 3-year-olds, five races for 3-year-old fillies and seven races for 2-year-olds.
Annually attracting several of the nation’s fastest middle-distance runners, the Longacres Mile culminates four-weeks of racing featuring championship events in four categories. In addition to The Mile and Emerald Distaff, 3-year-old fillies meet in the $65,000 Washington Oaks on Sunday, July 24, and 3-year-olds line up in the $65,000 Emerald Downs Derby on Sunday, July 31.
Mile Preview Day offers a quadruple-header of stakes activity featuring older horses in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap, older fillies and mares in the $50,000 Boeing Handicap, and the season’s first stakes events for 2-year-olds – the $50,000 Angie C Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and $50,000 Emerald Express for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Washington Cup – six stakes races for Washington-breds worth an aggregate $300,000 in purses – will be held Sunday, Aug. 28. The $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up anchors the Washington Cup card. In 2015, Stryker Phd became the fifth Longacres Mile winner to also capture the Muckleshoot Classic.
Quarter Horses are featured Sunday, Aug. 21, with the sixth running of the $60,000 Bank of American Emerald Downs Championship Challenge for 3-year-olds and up at 440 yards.
The 70-day season, the 21st at Emerald Downs, begins Saturday, April 9. Live racing is offered Saturday and Sunday the first two weeks with Friday racing beginning April 22. Holiday racing will be held Monday, May 30 and Monday, Sept. 5.
Post time is 2 p.m. weekends, 6:30 p.m. Fridays, and 6:30 p.m. Saturdays July 9, 16, 23 and 30, and 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 20. The annual Fireworks Spectacular, Sunday, July 3, begins at 4:30 p.m.
2016 EMERALD DOWNS STAKES SCHEDULE
28 Stakes: $1,620,000
Date, stakes, purse
Sunday, May 8, Seattle Handicap (3YO F) 6 ½ furlongs, $50,000
Sunday, May 15, Auburn Handicap (3YO C&G) 6 ½ F, $50,000
Sunday, May 22 Hastings Handicap (3&UP F&M) 6F, $50,000
Sunday, May 22 Governor’s Handicap (3&UP) 6 ½ F, $50,000
Sunday, May 29 Irish Day Handicap (3YO F) 1 mile, $50,000
Sunday, June 5, Coca-Cola Handicap (3YO C&G) 1M, $50,000
Sunday, June 19, WA State Legislators (3&UP F&M), 6 ½ F, $50,000
Monday, June 20, Budweiser Handicap, (3&UP) 1M, $50,000
Sunday, June 26, Kent Handicap (3YO F) 1-1/16 M, $50,000
Sunday, July 3, Seattle Slew Handicap (3YO) 1-1/16 M, $50,000
MILE PREVIEW DAY
Sunday, July 17, Mt. Rainier Handicap (3&UP) 1-1/16 M, $50,000
Sunday, July 17, Boeing Handicap (3&UP F&M) 1M, $50,000
Sunday, July 17, Angie C Stakes (2YO F) 5 ½ F, $50,000
Sunday, July 17, Emerald Express (2YO C&G) 5 ½ F, $50,000
Sunday, July 24, Washington Oaks (3YOF) 1-1/8 M, $65,000
Sunday, July 31, Emerald Downs Derby (3YO) 1-1/8 M, $65,000
Sunday, Aug. 7, WTBOA Lads Stakes (2YO C&G) 6F, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 7, Barbara Shinpoch Stakes (2YO F) 6F, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 14, Emerald Distaff (3&UP F&M) 1-1/8 M, $65,000
Sunday, Aug 14, Longacres Mile (G3) (3&UP) 1M, $200,000
Sunday, Aug. 21, Bank of America Challenge (3&UP) 440 yards, $60,000
WASHINGTON CUP DAY
Sunday, Aug. 28, WA Cup 2YO Filly Stakes, 6F, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 28, WA Cup 2YO Colts & Geldings Stakes, 6F, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 28, WA Cup 3YO Filly Stakes, 1M, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 28, WA Cup 3YO Colts & Geldings, 1M, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 28, WA Cup Filly & Mare Stakes, 1-1/16 M, $50,000
Sunday, Aug. 28, Muckleshoot Tribal Classic (3UP) 1-1/16M, $50,000
Sunday, Sept. 11, Gottstein Futurity (2YO) 1-1/16 M, $65,000
