4/4/2026
(Auburn, WA) It’s that time of year! The sun is out more, temperatures hit the 60’s, the flowers begin to bloom and if you are at Emerald Downs early the horses on the track getting ready for the 30th season of racing at the Auburn oval.
In this opening story of 2026 it’s a guide to the 2026 season from racing dates to stakes races to when the corgi’s race and the dancing horses parade.
State of the Union
Many times we here in the NW feel left out of the big sports and attention that many other cities and teams get…say on the east coast even when they don’t really deserve it. Maybe because it feels like for a big part of the United States that the border is the Mississippi river and everything west of that is a foreign country.
Maybe we feel this way because Pete Carroll was never even considered as a coach of the year candidate. Maybe it’s because the big dumper was the clear and easy choice as the MLB MVP and got past over. And to bring it home to our sport maybe it was when the “geniuses” at the TOBA Graded Stakes committee decided to take away the lone NW graded stakes race Longacres Mile.
Just feels like NYRA and Churchill Downs groups can’t wait for horse racing to die in the west. With the Stronach group doing everything they can to put themselves out of business to a struggling Arizona industry that leaves Del Mar on the west coast. They may survive long term as the final California track but even then will that property simply be too attractive to use for limited horse racing at some point?
Oh yah, I forgot there is another west coast track hidden up here in the PNW where the current Super Bowl Champs are located. This little track that just keeps figuring out how to race, now for 30 years. This year Emerald Downs is now officially more than half as old as Longacres was when it closed in 1992 at the age of 59.
You know sometimes it’s kind of nice to be tucked away from all the B-S up here in the left hand corner of the country. Is everything perfect? Of course not. But Emerald Downs is exactly what this industry is all about. It’s about passion, love of the horses, people, the sport of these amazing animals and humans competing.
Would it be nice to have bigger purses, race more days have more horses in each race? The answer is yes and guess what if purses were 50% higher, if we raced 100 days and if the average number of starters was 10 per race the answer to those questions would still be YES!
The bottom line is this is what we have and we keep making it work. I truly hope Turf Paradise and their new leadership and direction turns into a long term solution. I do hope Emerald Downs can get back to a 70 day meet. I do hope purses go up and between Emerald and Turf Paradise a perfect year round circuit can be created and benefit all those who work 365 days a year in this sport we all love so much.
How about we spend this year working closer together than ever before and instead of complaining or grousing about how we wished it was and start making how we want it.
We do things differently up here and when the chips are down we get to work. It’s a hard struggle but there is no other option. We need to make this work and as I have said many, many times the fan support of horse racing in the NW is better than anywhere else. Year after year, the fans come to the track. We still count track attendance in the thousands and not the hundreds.
Between Longacres, Emerald Downs, Yakima Meadows, Playfair and all the Fair meets there has been 92 years of summer racing in Washington State. And now it’s all on Emerald Downs. Let’s have a great season!
Eli Sports Coverage
We’ll be back again for another year of coverage of this great sport. We focus on Emerald Downs and not just the stakes races. We try to have a little something on every single race run during the 51 days. Some days and weeks we can write more than others. We look for the unique stories and love to drop back into history and will be starting a “look back” feature this year as well.
We’re not afraid to share others who write about our sport especially when it is about racing at Emerald Downs. We regularly share or use stories written by Vince Bruun, Emerald’s Media Director. He is especially helpful on the big stakes race days with multiple stakes run on single days.
We will continue to follow both the equine and human athletes and our Jockey Power Rankings will be back and maybe for the first time our Horse Power Rankings.
Larry the SportsCat will be back to terrorize the Trifecta King and we’ll have more fun and maybe some surprises along the way as well.
The one thing that is true, you can’t get more coverage of Emerald Downs, the horses, jockeys, trainers, owners than right here at Eli Sports. We hope you enjoy what we do and will share our coverage with other race fans.
Remember, this site is easily translated into several other languages and more will be added. To translate there is a box in the upper right corner and has a drop down menu. See pics below.
2026 Emerald Downs Racing Season
The 2026 racing season is 51 days and starts on Saturday, May 2nd through the final day on Labor Day, Monday, September 7. There are 18 Saturday and Sunday races days, 13 on Friday nights and 2 holidays on Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Post Times
Post times on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays is 1:50pm and on 12 of the 13 Friday nights 7pm. There is one other post time and that is for the Friday, July 3rd the Fireworks Spectacular day and racing starts at 5pm.
Admission and Parking
TICKET PRICES: $10 per person includes general admission and a Race Day Program. Emerald Rewards players can have their rewards card swiped for 100 points for admission. Friday night admission $5 except on June 5 (T-shirt giveaway night).
New for 2026: All kids ages 12 and under are admitted FREE.
JULY 3 FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR: $15 per person includes general admission and a Race Day Program when purchased in advanced; $20 at the gates the day of.
No outside food or beverages permitted with the exception of a sealed 32 oz bottle of water or smaller per person.
GATES OPEN: 90 minutes prior to the first race. Gates open 11 AM on May 2, May 10, June 14, June 21, June 28. Noon on July 3 and 5 PM on June 5.
THIRD FLOOR RESERVED GRANDSTAND SEAT: Friday nights are free. Saturday & Sunday $5 if purchased separately. Admission & seat purchased together online $14 (includes Tip sheet).
FREE SEATING: General admission bench seats, table seating, picnic and umbrella tables are available throughout the track level on a first-come first served basis.
ACTIVE MILITARY: Active military personnel receive free admission for themselves plus one guest with ID.
TRIBAL MEMBERS: Receive free general admission for themselves plus one guest with TRIBAL ID.
SENIORS 60+: $5 admission on Saturdays
PARKING: Free general parking North of Las Margs Cafe with shuttle service to the front gates beginning 90 minutes prior to first race.
Limited $10 Pre-Paid Preferred Parking at our website. $15 Preferred Parking and $20 Premium Parking available every Saturday and Sunday.
$10 Premium Parking available on Friday nights.
Big Event Days: $15 Pre-Paid Preferred Parking at our website, $20 Preferred Parking and Premium Parking.
For full details on admission and parking click on this link.
Special Days and Promotions
The 30th anniversary celebration is Saturday, June 20, featuring a special remembrance of the track’s first three decades of operation.
Popular promotions returning in 2026 include Indian Relay Racing (June 12-14), T-Rex World Championships (July 12), Fiesta Premio Esmeralda (July 25-26), Oktoberfest (Sept. 5-7), along with a full slate of races for dogs: Bulldogs (May 17), Corgis (June 27-28), and Wieners (Aug. 23).
Fab Friday’s are back with $5 admission and food and beverage specials. Family days in the park and much more!
For a complete list and details of all the promotions click on this link.
Betting
2026 will see the same bets offered as in 2025. $2 win, place and show, $1 rolling Daily Doubles, $1 Exacta, 50-cent Trifecta, 10-cent Superfecta, 50-cent Pentafecta, 50-cent Pick 3, 50-cent Pick 4, 50-cent Pick 5 and 20-cent Jackpot Pick 6.
Stakes Racing
The Stakes schedule will again be limited to 5 race days with multiple Stakes run each of those days. It will be led by Championship Sunday featuring the 91st Longacres Mile and five other stakes is Sunday, Aug. 16. In 2025, Championship Sunday featured an all-time Emerald Downs’ record handle of $3,305,806.
The Longacres Mile will offer a $125,000 purse. All other thoroughbred stakes offer a $50,000 purse. The other five Stakes to be run on Championship Sunday will be the Distaff, Muckleshoot Derby, Oaks, Lassies and Lads.
The first Stakes day will be on Sunday, June 21 with the Seattle, Auburn, Hastings and Budweiser Stakes being contested. There will 6 running on Sunday, July 19 with the Kent, Governor’s, Legislators, Seattle Slew, King County and Angie C.
Wrapping up the thoroughbred schedule will be Sunday, September 6 with the Muckelshoot Juvenile fillies, Tribal Distaff, Tribal Classic and the Gottstein Futurity.
There are two quarter horse stakes set for Saturday, August 15, a day prior to Championship Sunday with the AQHA Championship and the John Deere Juvenile. The purse amounts are still to be determined.
To see the full Stakes Schedule click on this link.
www.elisportsnetwork.com