5/7/2025
(Auburn, WA) Emerald Racing Officials were stoked after opening day on April 27th with a light 7 race card but saw a massive opening day crowd and they came to bet. The total handle for opening day was nearly 900k which averaged more than $127,000 per race. So on day 2 of the live season which was also Kentucky Derby Day hopes were high for another big day and they were not disappointed.
Last year on opening day it was also on Kentucky Derby Day and the 7 race handle was $817,627 for an average of $116,803. This year opening day without the benefit of the Derby draw again did $894,464 or $127,806 per race. Last year a total of 35 horses ran on opening day or an average field of 5 per race. This year there were 39 for the opening 7 race race card or an average of 5.6 per race. Comparing opening days the overall handle was up nearly 10%. If we want to compare Kentucky Derby Day’s from last year to this year there was a massive 35% increase in handle.
Last year’s second day of racing was strong with 8 races and a handle of $1,176,615 and $147,077 per race. There were 57 starters for the 8 races for an average of 7.1 horses per race. This year the handle was $1,100,355 for a total drop of 76k but the per race average was 10k higher at $157,194 or a 7% increase in handle per race. Had there been an 8th race the estimated total handle would have been $1,257,550 maintaining that 7% increase. There were 51 starters on day 2 of this year averaging 7.3 starters per race so the comparisons are very close.
After 2 days of racng in 2024 the total handle was $1,994,242 with 15 races averaging $132,949 per race. In 2025 the first 2 days have totaled $1,994,819 with 14 races for a per race average of $142,487. Overall handle is up 2/10’s of a percent but that’s with one less race. The per race handle is up 7.2%.
This all happening while another 200-300 or more horses are expected to arrive over the next few weeks after Turf Paradise completed their season last weekend. The huge crowds and already increased handle bodes well for a strong season of racing.
Now let’s get to some of our weekly features including “The Wire”, “The Betting Window”, the “Claim Report” and more. Let’s get to it!
Week 3 Entries
Entries for week 3 were drawn on Wednesday for the first Saturday-Sunday weekend and the additional horse population reported at the track and more on their way from Turf Paradise is already beginning to show.
On Saturday, there will be 8 races with a total of 62 entries including an 11 horse field in the 7th and featured race. This is an average of 7.75 per race. Sunday has 10 races carded with 69 entries for a 6.9 per race average for a weekend total of 18 races, 131 entries for an average of 7.3 per race.
This is a great early indication of how the additional horse population is going to help throughout the season and should be a great weekend of racing.
Emerald Downs Kentucky Derby Hat Contest
The large crowd on Saturday were certainly in the spirit of dressing for the Kentucky Derby. The crack Emerald Downs promotion staff hosted their annual Hat contest where winners were declared for several categories. But many were dressed to the nines and helped create the celebratory atmosphere for the Run for the Roses.
Here’s a sampling of the Hats we saw on Derby Day
Hall of Famer back on the Track
We begin with a visit from maybe the most beloved horse to ever run at Emerald Downs. Wasserman was elected to the Washington State Hall of Fame this year and will officially enter the Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 16. The son of Cahill Road, out of Share the Knight by Knights Choice will join his Hall of Fame trainer Howard Belvoir. Belvoir also bred and owned Wasserman for his entire career,
Wasserman ran 83 times and finished with a 13-15-14 record for a 16% win rate and top 3 finish of 51%. He has earned more money than any Washington bred at Emerald Downs with career earnings just short of 600k at $599,091. Wasserman won his first stakes race in 2007 in the Governors Stakes at 17-1 with his regular rider and best friend Jennifer Whitaker aboard.
Wasserman and Whitaker would connect to win 6 stakes races including a 2nd Governor’s and 2 Muckleshoot Classic. But the biggest race of all was the thrilling come from behind win in the 2008 Grade 3 Longacres Mile. Wasserman came storming down the middle of the track swamping the 2 favorites thrilling his local supports at a 10-1 price on top of it. It remains the only time a female jockey has won the Longacres Mile and Waswserman was a huge part of Whitaker hold as the winningest female jockey in Emerald Downs’ history.
Whitaker road nearly every start of Wasserman’s career and together won 12 of his 13 lifetime victories. Only Javier Matias rode Wasserman into the Winners Circle one time other than Whitaker. The two have clearly bonded and Whitaker who was injured before last season began with a serious leg injury is back to working horses for the Belvoir barn and was not going to have anyone else bring her old friend back to the track on Saturday.
Let’s take a look at Wasserman’s historic Longacres Mile win
Joe Withee put together a piece on Wassernman a few years ago with more insight from Belvoir and Whitaker:
Wasserman returned to his home track on Saturday and led the post parade for the 4th race dubbed the “Wasserman” Hall of Fame Purse to the delight of his many fans on track to see him again.
Owner/Trainer/Breeder Howard Belvoir was there beeming with pride. Belvoir says Wasserman is a fixture at Emerald Downs, he loves people and he loves being around the barn. Whitaker still gets on him daily for at least a little gallop as the 23-year-old is now more of an assistant trainer than a retired race horse. It was a huge added bonus to get to see the great Wasserman on the Emerald Downs track once again.
Jockeys
Kevin Krigger got off to a great start after winning 1 on opening day. He then began day 2 by sweeping the opening daily double capping it with a sensational run by Travel the Map from the Tim McCanna barn who ran the 5 1/2-furlongs in 1:03.50 but won by 9 3/4 lengths to take the lead in the biggest win by lengths early in the season. The daily double didn’t fool too many people as it paid just $3.50 and will be tough to beat as the smallest DD pay-out of the season.
Krigger then became the first rider of the season to triple in a single day winning the 4th aboard Benny Buckets. Krigger is the early leader in the jockey standings with 4 wins.
Silvio Amador won the 3rd race also on a favorite to earn his 2nd win of the season. In the final 3 races, 3 jockeys got their 1st win of the year beginning with Francisco Monroy taking the 10 horse field in the 5th race at boxcar odds of 32-1 aboard Kir Royale, a first time starter for trainer Kay Cooper.
Kevin Orozco found the winner’s circle in the 6th and featured race on Cross the Causeway also at a big number 17-1. More on Kir Royale and Cross the Causeway’s pay-outs in the Betting Window below.
And 5 time jockey Champ Alex Cruz broke the ice and got to the Winners Circle in the 7th and last race of the day. Cruz came from just off the pace to run down Ruby Rendevous denying Orozco sweeping the late double.
Francisco Duran was the only rider to double on opening day but got shut out on day 2. He just missed in the 6th race on Uncle Leon finishing 2nd by 3/4 of a length to Cross the Causeway.
Apprentice Pablo Castillo who got his first career win on opening day ran a good 2nd in the 2nd race and was the clear second best but was nearly 10 lengths behind the winner. Castillo picked up another place finish in the 4th race both at good offs of 6-1 and 15-1. Castillo had 2 other rides taking 4th in both races so he hit the board on all 4 of his mounts.
All time leading Emerald Downs rider Juan Gutierrez was back on Saturday with his first rides of the year. Guti had 2 rides with a 3rd place run in the 2nd and off the board on his other ride.
And David Haldar made his Emerald debut on Saturday. Haldar is a veteran from the East Coast riding a Northeast circuit of Mahoning Valley, Finger Lakes, Thistle Downs and others. He has been riding since his 1 and only ride in 2017 and has been in 2,713 races winning 291 with a career earnings bankroll of 6.2 million. Haldar didn’t get a win on his 1st day at Emerald but showed well. Haldar nearly took his 1st ride on 14-1 Ruby N Ray for trainer Ruby Thomas at 14-1 odds but got caught at the wire to lose by a neck. It would have also been Thomas’s 1st win at Emerald.
Haldar then ran off the board in the 5th and had the lead again at the top of the stretch in the 6th with Square Cat but ended up 3rd. So a solid start for Haldar at the Auburn oval and will be worth watching his progress.
Trainers/Owners
Two trainers have more than one win and both have doubled on a single day. Tim McCanna and Jose Puentes both doubled on opening day. McCanna added his 3rd win on Saturday taking the 2nd race with Travel the Map’s impressive nearly 10 length win with Kevin Krigger aboard. Travel the Map is owned by Fred and Cynthia Desimone. McCanna is the early leader with 3 wins and is hitting at a 75% win rate taking 3 of the 4 starts in the 1st two days.
Puentes did not get in the winners circle on day 2 but is all alone in 2nd place with a 2-1-0 record from 6 starts.
Many familiar names scored their first wins of the season beginning in the first with veteran conditioner Steve Bullock. Bullock saddled West Coast Bull for the Gold Coast Racing VI stable. Former training Champ Blaine Wright got his 1st victory in the 3rd race for John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald and Gail Schneider who had 8 wins in 2024 and were 5th in the owner standings.
Scott Tubbs who finished 6th in the standings last year with 17 wins got his 1st win of 2025 with Benny Buckets in the 4th race. Veteran Kay Cooper teamed up with her ladies group of Pat Crow, Jill Fabulich and Debbie Pabst with 1st time starter Kir Royale in the 5th race at a hefty price of 32-1.
Two more lifers got their opening winners of 2025 with Charlie Essex in the feature race with Cross the Causeway and owner Michael Stark. This one also fooled the betting public who let him go as the 2nd highest longshot at 17-1. Finally, Frank Lucarelli, the all-time winningest trainer in Emerald Downs’ 29 seasons got to the wire first in the 7th on Saturday with favorite Moonlight Grey for owners Donnybrook Stable and Randy Penington.
No owner has tallied 2 wins yet and there is a 14-way tie for 1st.
Saturday stretched the betting returns from one end to the other in extremes. The $1 Daily Double takes center stage with the lowest pay-off early in this season but just may hold up for the entire year. In the 1st race, 7-5 West Coast Bull won and in the 2nd 1-2 Travel the Map blistered the field and those holding the $1 Daily Double collected $3.50. That’s a 4-5 double.
Had you bet $10 on the DD you would have collected $17.50. But if you would have bet that $10 on West Coast Bull to win instead you would have collected $23.90. This DD pay-off will be tough to beat as low pay-out of the year.
So if indeed this is the lowest DD pay of the year, it may stun you that the highest DD pay of the year will likely have occurred on the same day. Well, if it isn’t it’s gonna take more than boxcars to beat, it’s gonna need the entire train.
Last year’s top $1 Daily Double pay was $704.87. The high pay last year is more than $1,000 short of the huge pay on Saturday. In the 5th race Kir Royale with Francisco Monroy stunned the field of 10 winning at 32-1 setting up a potential single ticket winner. When 17-1 Cross the Causeway and Kevin Orozco ran them all down in deep stretch that triggered a $1,754.25 pay-off to one lucky winner.
There is a very big chance that the lowest and highest Daily Double pay-offs of the season have already been paid on Saturday. In fact, the Daily Double paid more than the pick 5. The pick 5 on opening day paid $1,685.21 and on Derby Day there were no tickets with 5 and the consolation with 4 winners returned a flimsy $27.23. Going into Saturday’s races there is a $2,723 carry-over.
There were some great chances to make a lot of money on races that were not the Kentucky Derby. This weekend’s line-up is looking great for another shot at some big pays.
The first claim of the day set the high claim of the meet so far at $25,000. Goin’ South who won the 3rd race by a neck with Silvio Amador up was taken from trainer Blaine Wright for $25,000 by new owner’s Chad and Josh for trainer Howard Gibson.
Two claims were tagged in the 6th and feature race. Company’s Dream the betting choice that ran a tiring 5th as the odds-on choice was claimed by Rosales Racing F1 and Kevin Chacarria for trainer Jorge Rosales for $10,000 from the Vince Gibson barn and Lusk Racing.
The 2nd claim from the 6th also at $10,000 was No d’Oro who ran 6th at 12-1 goes from trainer Victor Trujillo and owners Jose Paredes and Isidro Ruvalcaba to new owners Schmidt Happens Racing and trainer Tena Birdwell.
In the finale the favorite and winner Moonlight Grey leaves the Frank Lucarelli barn and owners Donnybrook Stable and Randy Penington to trainer Charles Essex and new owner Joe Crawford for $10,000.
A total of $55,000 of claims were dropped on Saturday.
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