6/19/2026

(Auburn, WA) This weekend marked 30-years since Emerald Downs opened their doors and re-introduced live thoroughbred racing to Western Washington.

On Saturday will be the official 30th anniversary and there will be throw back deals like $1 hot dogs and more. The free programs will be adorned with the exact same program cover as the original opening day on June 20, 1996. Fans will also get a free bucket hat with paid admission.

Sunday the first Super Stakes day of the year will feature 4 Stakes races, the Budweiser, Hastings, Auburn and Seattle Stakes will all be run with each Stakes race a $50,000 purse. It’s also Father’s day with the traditional Father’s day brunch.

The began on another Fab Friday night and those wearing their Hawaiian Emerald Downs shirts continued to get in free, Friday night deals on food and beverage along with the horse shoe toss got things rolling. 

It was also the first leg of the Hollywood

The Track Wire

From the Saddle

Coming into this week the top of the jockey standings was tight with Silvio Amador and Kevin Krigger separated by 1 win with Amador up 22-21. Adrian Castellanos was 3rd with 17 wins followed by Blake Nunnally with 13, the only 4 in double figures.

Amador quickly adds to his lead, Castellanos keeps pace

Amador cruised to an easy 5 length win in the opener to push his lead over Krigger by 2. Adrian Castellanos remained 5 behind Amador winning the 4th on General Jimbo with a nice closing run to get the victory.

Amador then answered not with one but two more wins pushing his win total to 25. Castellanos wasn’t done either picking off another win in the Hollywood Harbor sprint series on Roll Dem Bones for trainer Howie Gibson. So Castellanos now has 1o wins losing a little ground to Amador but now 2 behind Krigger for 2nd.

The other two wins on the night went to Allyssa Morales and Frank Alvrado.

From the Barn

Tim McCanna took the early lead this season but then several trainers cut that difference until last weekend. McCanna has been so consistent and hs re-taken the top spot as the only trainer with double digit wins at 12. 

Veteran Tom Wenzel has been strong early sits in 2nd beginning the week with 9 wins. Frank Lucarelli and Howie Gibson are right behind with 8, defending champion trainer Jorge Rosales is next with 7 and Blaine Wright has 5 but has been a bit frustrated with 15 2nd and 3rd combined finishes.

Rosales strikes first, Gibson tacks on another win

Out of the top conditioners it was Jorge Rosales getting the first win with General Jimbo in the 4th race, tying Roslaes at the time with Lucarelli and Gibson for 3rd with 8 wins.

Gibson then countered with Roll Dem Bones in the Hollywood Harbor sprint and pulls into a tie with Tom Wenzel each with 9 wins.

The other trainers to pick up victories on Friday night were Kendra Lyons, Jim Gilmour, Steve Fisher, Alexis Silva-Martinez and Vince Gibson.

Horse Shoe toss

Two ladies stepped up and tossed their horse shoe within a few inches of the getting that $1,000 ringer but just missed. The drought continues.

Let’s get to the Friday Races!

6th Race Feature Race Hollywood Harbor Sprint series Race 1 

The Hollywood Harbor sprint series is back with an added purse of $6,000 from the owner of Hollywood Harbor, Jody Peetz. Peetz sponsored the series in 2024 and has brought it back for 2026. The series is limited to those who start in the 1st leg and the winner gets 3 points, 2nd place 2 points and 1 point for 3rd. The points leader at the end of the series will earn an additional $1,000

Here’s more on tonight’s race from Emerald’s Vince Bruun:

Roll Dem Bones swept past the leaders for a three-quarter-length victory in Friday’s first leg of the $15,000 Hollywood Harbor Sprint Series for 3-year-olds and up.

Ridden by Adrian Castellanos, Roll Dem Bones ran 5 ½ panels in 1:03.61, returning $7.20 for a $2 win ticket. Howie Gibson is the trainer for Michael Radovich.

A 7-year-old West Virginia-bred, Roll Dem Bones is 9-18-8 in 72 lifetime starts with earnings of $219,632.

Upright, also 5/2, rallied inside to finish second while Fraser Landing, off at odds of 7/2, checked finished third.

The second leg of the Series is Friday, July 3, however only horses that ran in the first leg are eligible to run in two weeks.

Five of the eight horses in Friday’s race were claimed, including the top three finishers.

Older fillies and mares get their turn with the Daffodil Sweet Sprint Series, to be run Friday, June 28, and Friday, July 10.

The Hollywood Harbor Series and Daffodil Sweet Series both offer $3,500 claimers the opportunity to compete for enhanced purses. The overall winner of each series receive a $1,000 cash bonus.

For more on the Hollywood Harbor series here’s a link to our story from 2024 on how and why the series was created.

• $1.00 EXACTA 7-2 $12.56
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 7-2-4 $17.24
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 7-2-4-6 $7.64
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 7-7 $9.06
• $0.50 PICK 3 4-2,7-7 $23.04

Race Replay

The rest of Friday night’s card

1st Race

1-5 odds-on Social Status broke from the outside of the 4 horse field after a late scratch and Silvio Amador sent Status to the front from the start of the 6 furlong opener. Social Status drifted to the middle of the track and never really came down near the rail but didn’t matter as 5-year-old mare led by 5 at the 1/4 pole and maintained that advantage at the finish in a final time of 1:11.08. Social Status races for Steve Mayotte and Kendra Lyons and trained by Lyons.

Drewy and Kevin Krigger was a clear 2nd with Inzaway under Jairo Moreno taking 3rd and 4th went to Big Catty with Blake Nunnally.

• $1.00 EXACTA 5-3 $3.12
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 5-3-1 $4.56
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 5-3-1-4 $0.93

Race Replay

2nd Race

A field of 5 went a mile in race 2. 5-2 Kyalum with Silvio Amador went straight to the front but 8-5 Prince of Memphis sat perfectly off the pace and waited to make their move until the far turn where Allyssa Morales said go and the Prince did so winning by a clear margin in a final time of 1:38.34. Sue Gilmour is the owner and Jim Gilmour trains.

Closing well for 2nd was Run Baba Run and Karlo Lopez edging out the front speed Kyalum who took 3rd and Hacksaw Mountain with Kevin Orozco completed the top 4 finish.

• $1.00 EXACTA 2-3 $15.97
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 2-3-5 $24.58
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 2-3-5-4 $6.82
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 5-2 $3.44

Race Replay

3rd Race

2-1 Prancin Lady sat chilly behind the 2 front runners as the field of 5 went 6 furlongs and when jockey Frank Alvarado popped the question she answered by surging to the lead. Lady had to answer again when even money favorite Kir Royale was closing from further back under the guidance of Alex Cruz but Prancin Lady had more and won by 3 lengths in a final time of 1:10.95. Chokechery Shari also closed from the back of the pack to get 3rd with Allyssa Morales in the saddle while 4th place went to 10-1 Bumping River and Adrian Castellanos.

Prancin Lady races for Jaqui Navarre and trained by Steve Fisher. 

• $1.00 EXACTA 5-2 $7.17
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 5-2-4 $12.59
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 5-2-4-3 $6.75
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 2-5 $12.25
• $0.50 PICK 3 5-2-5 $9.19

Race Replay

4th Race

General Jimbo and Adrian Castellanos came from the back and roared by everyone in the stretch in this 5 furlong sprint catching Peter Flies and Karlo Lopez in the lazt 50 yards with a finishing time of 58.57. General Jimbo is owned by Eliana Thompson and Gene Heredia and trained by Jorge Rosales.

Khaiky’s Command and Alex Cruz nosed out a fast closing Gianola under Blake Nunnally for the show.

• $1.00 EXACTA 4-5 $20.44
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 4-5-6 $19.99
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 4-5-6-2 $17.72
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 5-4 $9.14
• $0.50 PICK 3 2-5-4 $19.62
• $0.50 PICK 4 4 OF 4 2,5-2-5-4 $28.94

Race Replay

5th Race

8-5 favorite A View from Above broke from the 7 hole perfectly and jockey Silvio Amador knew what to do, get the 4-year-old Washington bred to relax which he did and never let any of his competition get closer than a length, winning by 2 in a final time of 1:09.52. Streetch Run showed great courage holding onto 2nd with Blake Nunnally while Real Good Magic and Alex Cruz just missed 2nd to settle for 3rd. El Joy and Karlo Lopez took 4th.

A View From Above races for Gary Lusk and Alexis Silva-Martinez and Silva-MKartinez trains. A View From Above is a 4-year-old Washington bred by Abraaj out of Deja Views by Forest Camp and was bred by Frederick and Debbie Pabst.

• $1.00 EXACTA 7-6 $10.01
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 7-6-4 $10.62
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 7-6-4-3 $23.32
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 4-7 $14.80
• $0.50 PICK 3 5-4-2,7 $17.10
• $0.50 PICK 4 4 OF 4 2-5-4-2,7 $68.69

Race Replay

7th Race

A field of 9 lined up in the finale and the big gray Enos Slaughter giving Silvio Amador his 3rd win of the night. Enos Slaughter was well off the early pace but turning for home in the 1-lap run the Enos tied it up with Tex Hanley and Kevin Krigger as they went head and head to the wire with the gray nose hitting it first for the win. Enos Slaughter races for the White Diamond Syndicate and Gary Crandall and trained by Vince Gibson.

Tex Hanledy was 2nd, Stop and a Tres under Lenny Seecharan ran 3rd followed by 4th placer Dekudylan with Alex Cruz and Time Ticker with Blake Nunnally completed the Super Hi 5.

• $1.00 EXACTA 9-2 $23.09
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 9-2-7 $148.77
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 9-2-7-8 $133.32
• – SUPERHIGHFIVE CarryOver $2,130.64
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 7-9 $20.12
• $0.50 PICK 3 2,7-7-9 $37.36
• $0.50 PICK 4 4 OF 4 4-2,7-7-9 $119.81
• $0.50 PICK 5 5 OF 5 5-4-2,7-7-9 $288.55
• – PICK 6 CarryOver $1,049.79
• $0.10 PICK 6 6 OF 6 2-5-4-2,7-7-9 $45.83

Race Replay

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