The track’s all-time wins leader will have a special day when Emerald Downs salutes West Seattle Boy on Saturday, June 30.

Special limited edition West Seattle Boy posters – featuring all 21 of the gelding’s wins at Emerald Downs – will be given away to fans, and there also will be a special winner’s circle retirement ceremony, a West Seattle Boy tribute will be shown on television monitors, and West Seattle Boy will appear at that morning’s Emerald A.M. show in the paddock.

Retired after his most recent start at Portland Meadows, West Seattle Boy finished with a career record of 111-26-14-20 with earnings of $184,710. At Emerald Downs, West Seattle Boy compiled a 21-12-15 mark in 88 starts with earnings of $166,850. He won three races at Emerald Downs as a 12-year-old in 2011, and three races at Emerald Downs as an 11-year-old in 2010.

West Seattle Boy’s 21 career wins at Emerald Downs are five more than any other horse in the track’s 17-season history, and both his longevity and exciting come-from-behind style made the gelding one of the most popular runners in track history.

Owned by Jerry Carmody and Lisa Baze, West Seattle Boy has already begun a new career as a pony horse at Emerald Downs, but the owners have graciously agreed to allow the horse to appear before his fans twice on June 30 – both as the featured attraction at Emerald A.M. and during the races in the winner’s circle. In the latter appearance, the gallant gelding will receive a special gift courtesy of Emerald Downs.

Streaking

El Gran Bebe, a demon last fall on turf in Northern California, will put his three-race winning streak on the line Sunday in an allowance optional claiming race for older horses at six furlongs. A field of six 3-year-olds and up will race six furlongs for a $20,000 purse.

Conditioned by Washington Hall of Fame trainer Jim Penney, El Gran Bebe was an absolute terror on the Golden Gate turf course in the early winter months, climbing up the class ladder from a $12,500 claiming race for 3-year-olds to an allowance race for older horses. While Christmas came early for owner/breeder Michael and Amy Feuerborn, their homebred’s winning streak looked more like the film Groundhog Day.

Instead of comedian Bill Murray trying to win over actress Andie MacDowell, it was El Gran Bebe winning each race gate-to-wire with Kevin Krigger aboard by 1-¼ lengths.

Now, it’s back to dirt for El Gran Bebe. And with a hot pace expected, the 4-year-old gelding will likely have to change his tactics. Kay Cooper, Penney’s daughter and chief assistant, said El Gran Bebe would have to take advantage of his outside draw.

“My horse has speed, but it’s route speed,” Cooper said. “He’ll have use the outside draw to keep an eye on the inside speed.”

To win, El Gran Bebe likely will have to catch the quick-footed pacesetter Cat On Base. In a 4½-length romp April 14, Cat On Base tied the track record for the fastest 5½ furlongs(1:01-1/5), a mark that lasted eight days until Hollywood Harbor set the world record of 1:00.87 Sunday. Nevertheless, Cat On Base’s speed and El Gran Bebe’s winning streak should make for one hotly contested feature race.

The field for Sunday’s ninth race: Emancipated, Jose Zunino, 120 pounds, Cat On Base, Jennifer Whitaker. 124; Advancement, Leonel Camacho-Flores, 124; Slim Pickins, Javier Matias, 120; El Gran Bebe, Juan Gutierrez, 120; Our Eagle Boy, William Antongeorgi, 120.

Oldies but goodies to face off

For 12-year-old gelding Colonel Courtney and 10-year-old gelding Chickasaw Park – tied for second most all-time active wins with 12 at Emerald Downs – nothing beats the competition of horse racing. So it will be business as usual for the crafty veterans Saturday when they lock horns in the day’s second race – a $5,000/$4,000 claiming event at 5½ furlongs.

Sure, it’s been five years since Colonel Courtney’s five-length romp over graded-stakes winner Court’s In Session at Bay Meadows, in which he earned a resounding 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Similarly, it’s been nearly five years since Chickasaw Park’s dominating 4-½-length victory in the 2007 Chinook Pass Sprint at Emerald Downs. But after a combined 170 starts and $591,519 in purse earnings, both Thoroughbreds are still going strong and clearly relishing their work.

In fact, Colonel Courtney, who earned $35,999 in 2011, comes off a dominating victory on opening weekend at Emerald Downs. Not only was it “The Colonel’s” first start at Emerald Downs, but it also was only his fourth career race around two turns. Not bad, considering he’s run in over 100 sprints at 19 different racetracks. And trainer G.D. Khalsa, who has trained Colonel Courtney since last November, said he doesn’t see the 12-year-old son of Mt. Livermore slowing down anytime soon.

“He came out of the last race as sharp I’ve ever seen him,” Khalsa said. “He’s a happy horse.”

Another happy horse on opening weekend had to be Chickasaw Park, who after missing nearly the entire 2011 season fired a big shot off the bench for trainer H.R. Pat Mullens. The son of Delineator was beaten only a neck while finishing third to 10-time winner Kool Comic and Declan Downs. It was an impressive effort considering the Washington-bred closed 1-½ lengths on a speed-favoring track. A win Saturday also would push Chickasaw park over $200,000 in career earnings. His overall record is 61-13-14-5 with earnings of $198,481 for Mullens, Ed Zenker and Swede Larson.

Notes

Juan Gutierrez rode four winners last week and is three wins from tying Ricky Frazier for second-place all-time at Emerald Downs. The ever-steady Gutierrez has finished in the top 10 each of the last 10 seasons and has 883 career wins at EmD. … Frank Lucarelli, who led all trainers with 14 multiple win days last year, is off and running in 2012 with training doubles last Saturday and Sunday.