6/26/2025

(Auburn, WA) In this edition of “The Track Wire” we’ll hit on some of the highlights from last weekend, previews of the coming weekend and updated stats after a huge weekend of racing, events and handle.

Fun and Frivolity

The Promotions Department led by the Trifecta King, Gary Dougherty, will have their hands full this weekend. Kicking it off with another Fab Friday of half priced food and drink specials. Plus if you have a Fab Friday T-Shirt that were given away on the first Friday night of racing, you get in free on all Friday nights that you wear the T-Shirt.

Additional T-Shirts are still on-sale in the gift shop on track level for $5 and you will get free admission for the rest of the Friday nights so it’s still a winning deal.

Bulldog Saturday

The first dog race of the year was postponed from the original date earlier this month due to concerns with a high heat warning. The races were moved to Saturday, June 28 where temperatures will be a lot cooler and safer for the dogs to participate. The Bulldogs will run on Saturday.

T-Rex World Championship Races

Emerald Downs invites you to unleash your inner dinosaur at the highly anticipated T-Rex World Championship Races! Taking place on Sunday, June 29th, this fan-favorite event transforms our horse racing track into a prehistoric playground as participants don inflatable Tyrannosaurus rex costumes and race to the finish line.

Expanding its partnership with ESPN, Emerald Downs has announced the T-Rex World Championships will be part of the network’s coverage for the first time in 2025.

T-Rex Race Categories:

• Kids’ Race (Race for kids in small kids costume)
• Men’s Race
• Women’s Race
• Dino Dinos (Age 55+, Participants in this age group may opt to race in the 18+ division)

The Numbers

20 race days into the 2025 season, which is nearly 40% of the season, are painting quite a picture. Handle, number of starters and races., Let’s take a look.

Races

Through 20 days this season there has been 164 races compared to 158 last season. This averages out to 7.9 per day in 2024 and 8.2 this year. An increase of 3.8%.

Starters

A total of 1,187 horses have broken from the gate, averaging 59.35 per day and 7.2 per race this season. Compared to 1,005 and 6.4 per race. An increase in starters of 18% in starters for the year.

Handle

Even though the increase in the first two categories is small in races to a decent jump in starters they have had a significant impact on handle. Additionally, with fewer tracks operating have also created more interest in betting Emerald Downs.

The 2024 handle after 20 days was a combined total of $17,577,476. This year through 20 days the handle is $25,860,514. This is an eye-popping 47% increase. Other numbers include an average daily handle in 2024 of $878,874 to 2025’s $1,293,026 and the average per races handle went from $111,250 to $157,686.

Also think about that little 3.8% increase in the number of races. 6 more than last year though 20 days. This is an additional 950k of handle when you times the additional races by the average per race handle.

Conclusion

All the numbers are trending positively in a big way. If the 47% increase holds for the rest of the season the total handle will jump from $45,042,291 to $67,092,734 or an increase of $21,451,418.

As we have mentioned before the handle is not as simple as it once was with all the deals that have to be in place and a split in the handle with several organizations it is hard to measure the exact increase hitting the track’s bank account. But what is indisputable, increase is never bad.

Some may be wondering if more races will be added or additional days, it is important to note that the purse account started in the negative at the beginning of the season so there was a hole to climb out of to begin with. It is highly unlikely that days will be added this season but I’d expect more races to be added over last year giving more chances to compete.

If this season can finish like it started, then it will be interesting what can be done going into 2026. It is important to remember that it has been years of a grind and partly due to the unfortunate state of the thoroughbred industry where cutting back and shutting down is the answer it will take more than 1 great season to turn things around in Washington.

If this trend continues this is the 1^st step in the process of turning this around. It’s far easier to build on success than barely hanging on. Emerald Downs continues to lead the industry in on-track attendance if you want to compare market size to market size. We do the hard part really well and that’s getting people to come to the track.

This is a great start, and we have to remain stubborn about how we do things and accomplish the same goal all of us horse fans want and that is long term security of this beautiful sport in Washington State. There is much work still to be done but this is an awesome beginning. Let’s keep pushing!

From the Saddle

A couple of notes from the jock’s room, Kevin Krigger continued his consecutive day win streak now at 16 going into Friday night racing. Manny Americano had his streak snapped at 13 when he couldn’t find a winner on Saturday.

The Gals

Chel-c Bailey picked up her 1^st win at Emerald Downs on Benny Buckets on Saturday. And apprentice Talliyah Timentwa took her 1^st mount of her career on Saturday aboard Ruby Rendezvous where she challenged for the lead before giving way and finishing off the board.

In her 2^nd ride of her career in the finale on Sunday, Timentwa was on 55-1 Internet Bidder and again broke in the lead bunch and although got beat by the favorite by 4 lengths, was a clear 2^nd by 2 ½ lengths for her first career on the board finish. She didn’t quite set the high $2 place pay but was close at $34.34.

Both Bailey and Timentwa got their chances riding for owner John Parker and trainer Candi Cryderman.

Stakes Winners

Silvio Amador takes the early lead winning the both the Auburn and Hastings Stakes with Si That Tiger and Attracted on Sunday. David Haldar with a fantastic ride on Clovisconnection in the Budweiser Stakes and Isaias Enriquez took the 4^th Stakes of the day winning the Seattle on Saleen G T.

Trainer Blaine Wright won 3 of the 4 stakes race with Si That Tiger, Attracted and Clovisconnection. Wright is now 2^nd all-time at Emerald Downs in Stakes wins with 62 moving in front of Tom Wenzel who has 61. Both are chasing all-time leader Doris Hardwood with 67.

In a frustrating day for Wenzel he placed 2^nd in 3 of the 4 stakes races, losing all 3 to Wright. This be fun to watch how these two heavyweights in NW racing battle it out for the rest of the season.

The 4^th trainer to was Frank Lucarelli picking up his 56^th Stakes victory. Lucarelli would have had several more had Mach One Rules not had to battle Barkley. Barkley beat Mach One Rules in 4 Stakes races winning by 2 necks and 2 heads or about a total combined loss of 4 races by a ½ length.

So Lucarelli decided along with R. E. V. racing to quit trying to beat Barkley and join him. That’s where they found Saleen G T, a daughter of Barkley and they won by a neck in Sunday’s Seattle Stakes over Beauty Bark. Another prodigy of Barkley who races for the Parrot Head stable and trainer Kay Cooper.

The other winning owners from Sunday included John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald and Gail Schneider who owns Si That Tiger, Peter Redekop owns Attracted and William Hedrick owns and bred Clovisconnection.

Blaine added another win earlier in the card for his 3^rd 4-win day at Emerald Downs. Wright is the only trainer to ever win 3 Stakes races in a single day and did it again this past Sunday to add to his record. This was the 3^rd time Wright pulled off a triple stakes win day. He did not have a runner in the Seattle Stakes and could not go for the Grand Slam of Stakes wins.

Update on Attracted

Despite all the success for Wright on Sunday a dark cloud hovered over all the festivities when his 4-year-old filly Attracted roared down the stretch with an eye-catching move on the turn to win by more than a length in the Hastings Stakes.

The celebration was on until Attracted approached the 6-furlong chute and rider Silvio Amador quickly jumped off Attracted. Amador felt Attracted take a bad step and quickly got off her back.

He quickly pulled off the saddle while the outrider quickly responded. Wright’s assistant trainer Corey Delp jumped into the back of the pick-up of one of the trailing vehicles during a race and got over to see what was happening.

Attracted never went to the track and stood calmly during the whole interaction. The horse ambulance came and picked her up and took her back to Wright’s barn.

Attracted did suffer an injury to her lower leg but she remains in Wright’s barn under the care of the track’s veterinary staff. We were able to contact Wright and he gave us the following update.

“Attracted is still in the barn and resting in her stall to hopefully make a full recovery and become a successful broodmare. I would like to thank everyone who has reached out to me about her. It wasn’t easy to have to go to saddle Clovisconnection & Tougherthantherest not knowing the prognosis of Attracted. I want to thank Dr Mandy Cha, Corey Delp (my asst), and the Emerald Downs crew for helping her get back to the barn in the safest manner possible and happy to report she’s doing as well as to be expected.”

Wright was highly complimentary of all including jockey Silvio Amador who recognized right away there was an issue and believes the quick action of all helped Attracted not suffer a more serious injury than what she is already dealing.

ESN thanks Blaine for updating us on Attracted and we wish her and the connections all the best in her recovery.

Stats

Up next are all the updated stats through 20 days of racing. It’s a lot of numbers and for stat nerds you will find jockey, trainer, owner standings, handle numbers, high and low pay-offs, fast times, Stakes results and standings, breeder standings and more. Enjoy!

Stakes Race Stats

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