For the Reporter
Emerald Downs’ 20th anniversary season begins Saturday, April 9, and things already are bustling in the backstretch barns.
Stable Superintendent Vern Baze reports 891 horses on the grounds — up a healthy 165 runners from the same date last year — and expects another 200 horses to arrive by the time Turf Paradise closes in early May.
Last year’s horse population topped 1,000 for the first time in four years while average field size increased from 6.27 horses in 2014 to 6.86 runners in 2015.
Jockey colony loaded with talent
The race for leading rider figures to be a heated battle in 2016, with the last four champions all slated to return and several other worthy challengers also set to ride here regularly.
The past four seasons have produced four different champions — Juan Gutierrez in 2012, Isaias Enriquez in 2013, Leslie Mawing in 2014, and Julien Couton in 2015. Those four would be favored on the early morning line for 2016, although Mawing was willing to forecast a title for himself.
“No ifs, ands or buts,” Mawing said, “I’m going to win the title this year.”
Winner of the last two Longacres Miles on Stryker Phd, Mawing was third overall last year with 77 wins, but he led in stakes wins and is a remarkable 21-for-49 the last two years in stakes at Emerald Downs.
Meanwhile, defending champion Julien Couton remains at Golden Gate where he’ll ride till the end of April, according to agent David “Marbles” Singer. Couton is due back May 6 and will spot his competition eight racing days, but Singer said the native of Aizenay, France would have plenty of business.
“He’s a got a couple of horses to ride in stakes down at Golden Gate, but he’ll be ready to go Kentucky Derby weekend,” Singer said. “He’ll be giving up some ground on some of the other riders (in the title chase). We’ll just have to work a little harder to catch back up.”
Gutierrez is steady as they come, recording 14 straight top five finishes with agent Keith Drebin, while 2013 champion Isaias Enriquez returns from New Mexico and already has secured the mount on multiple stakes winner Noosito in the older handicap division.
Jockeys Rocco Bowen and Joe Steiner, fourth and fifth in last year’s standings respectively, could contend for the title this season. Bowen has finished in the top five in his first five seasons and has a great rapport with three-time defending champion trainer Jeff Metz. Steiner comes off a terrific first full season at Emerald Downs, riding 17 percent winners including returning Emerald Derby champion Prime Engine.
Interestingly, Steiner’s early success may have had a ripple effect among other riders looking for a place to get establish some momentum. Erick Lopez, recently stationed in California, will setup shop at Emerald Downs this season with agent Keith Drebin. A 28-year-old New Jersey native, Lopez is the older brother of red-hot riding apprentice David C. Lopez in Southern California and the son of C.C. Lopez, who recently notched career win 4,200 at Parx in Philadelphia. Lopez said the word through the grapevine is that Emerald Downs is a hot spot for new riders.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place,” Lopez said. “It’s beautiful here and the racing really seems to be doing well.”
The racing is going so well in fact that some jockeys are taking on new professions. Eliska Kubinova, who set the track’s apprentice record with 75 wins in 2012, traded out her jockey license to become an agent and will carry the book for her husband and veteran rider Jorge Rosales this season. Speaking of woman riders, Jennifer Whitaker—the track’s all-time leading woman rider with 457 wins—Connie Doll, Kassie Guglielmino and apprentice Aubrie Green represent this year’s contingent.
Also returning to Emerald Downs are veterans Jake Barton, Javier Matias, Leonel Camacho-Flores, Jose Zunino, Luis Gonzalez, Ronald Richard, Jake Samuels, James Wooten Jr. and apprentice Osvaldo Gonzalez.
Another newcomer is Luis Medina, who has 256 career wins and most recently rode at Golden Gate.
Mitchell hopes to attend opening day
For the first time in Emerald Downs’ 20-year history, Gallyn Mitchell is not a member of the jockey colony. Mitchell, who retired last fall as the track’s all-time leader with 1,419 wins and 80 stakes wins, said he now works as a cattle herder in the San Bernardino area east of Los Angeles.
Mitchell, 54, was in town Thursday to visit his ailing daughter Samantha, who is undergoing treatment at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He stopped by Emerald Downs to clean out some remaining items from his locker, and said he would like to attend the opener.
“I’ll do my best to make it,” Mitchell said. “I have lots of friends here.”
Win a set of Beats opening weekend
To celebrate the opening of the 20th anniversary season, Emerald Downs is giving away 40 Beats Headphones to lucky fans — 20 on Saturday, April 9, and 20 on Sunday, April 10.
With a list price of $379, Beats Studio Wireless Headphones are the world’s most famous headphone and have been completely redesigned and reimagined with precision sound, Adaptive Noise Canceling, a 20-hour rechargeable battery, and RemoteTalk.
Each paid admission will receive an entry slip and winners will be announced from the Winner’s Circle after every race.
Finish line
Two-time defending Longacres Mile champion Stryker Phd has been battling a virus at Golden Gate Fields, according to assistant trainer Sharon Ross. The 7-year-old gelding has seven works this spring, but none since March 13, and is likely to be shipped to Emerald Downs in the coming weeks. Stryker Phd could possibly follow his schedule of the previous two years and make his 2016 debut in the June 19 Budweiser Stakes. … All stakes events previously carded as handicaps, i.e. Auburn Handicap, Seattle Handicap, Budweiser Handicap, will be run as stakes in 2016. … The Emerald Racing Club’s newest acquisition, 4-year-old gelding Archie Graham, is scheduled to arrive here Friday. Archie Graham was claimed for $8,000 last week at Golden Gate Fields and has a 3-3-3 record in 18 starts with earnings of $45,592. Emerald Downs Vice-President-Marketing Sophia McKee reports all 200 Club memberships have been sold, and said they hope to acquire a second horse soon. … Last year ERC compiled a sparkling 3-1-0 record in seven starts with earnings of $29,133. …
Entries for opening day will be drawn Tuesday, April 5. Once entries close, Vince Bruun and Jacob Pollowitz will host their third annual Media Day in the Quarter Chute Café with all trainers, jockeys, owners and agents encouraged to attend. Complimentary lunch will be served. … Trainer Bob Meeking is beginning his 21st season at Emerald Downs with a string of 14 runners including 10-year-old Polish Dollar, second among active horses with 15 career wins at EmD. … Buddy Dave, No. 1 among active runners with 16 wins at Emerald Downs also is back in action. The 9-year-old gelding already has five works this spring for trainer Vince Gibson. … Absolutely Cool is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $22,500 allowance sprint at Turf Paradise. The 9-year-old gelding is the three-time state champion sprinter in Washington and No. 37 all-time in Washington earnings with $373,516 for owner/breeder Karl Krieg. …
Clell Sherwood, who has run the jockeys’ room at Emerald Downs from the track’s opening in 1996, owns a pretty nice Thoroughbred in Pacific Nights , a 7-year-old More Than Ready gelding that is the 5-2 choice in Saturday’s $25,000 Wildcat Handicap at Turf Paradise. Pacific Nights is 5-for-9 on the turf course at Turf Paradise and is just shy of $150,000 in career earnings. … Kikisoblu , voted Top Sprinter at Emerald Downs in 2015, recorded her first workout since last June, breezing three furlongs in :38 1/5 Monday for trainer Tom Wenzel. … Scat Daddybaby, winner of last year’s Pete Pedersen Memorial on the Longacres Mile undercard, rocketed six furlongs from the gate in 1:09 3/5 last Friday for trainer Robbie Baze. … Emerald Downs and state champion 2-year-old Mach One Rules is training at Golden Gate with trainer Frank Lucarelli. The Harbor the Gold gelding has six works on the Tapeta surface, most recently five furlongs in 1:04 last Sunday.
