6/23/2026
Emerald Downs hit their 30th birthday on Saturday, June 20 2026. The track celebrated with vintage program covers, free Bucket Hats and $1 hot dogs. Plus a ceremony honoring the 30 years including employees who have worked every season, highlighted trainers, jockeys, owners and original investors led by NW Racing Associates President Ron Crockett and Vice President Jack Hodge.
In 2015, Crockett and NW Racing Associates sold the track to the Muckleshoot Tribe. This wiped out the debt of the 81-million dollar facility and remains the single Professional Sports facility that was paid for 100% with private money. NW Racing received only a sales tax deferment on all the materials to build Emerald Downs which was all paid to the State prior to the sale to the Muckleshoots.
Lumen Field, T-Mobile, Climate Pledge, Husky Stadium, King Dome, Tacoma Dome none of those facilities can say they were all built with private money, ONLY Emerald Downs can say they are truly a free market enterprise.
Emerald Investors (NW Racing Associates)
Ron Crockett (President), Jack Hodge (Vice President) and Theresa Hodge, Gary Brady, Ivan and Deloris Christianson, Roger Collins, Charles Dunn, Chris and Patricia Elia, Terry and Diane Garrison, Harold Heath, Stuart Heath, Dave and Jill Heerensperger, Max and Luella Jensen, Estate of Diane Kem, Dave and Leslie Leland, Murdock MacPherson, Robert McMillen, David Mowatt, Frederick and Debra Pabst, Barbara Ratcliff, Robert Resoff, Salud Investment Inc, Herman Sarkowsky, Gerald Schneider, George and Norma Sedlock, Segale Inc, Mike and Theresa Skagen, Dr George Todaro.
30th Anniversary Ceremony
The ceremony held prior to the first race on Saturday, June 20, 2026 took place just prior to the first race of the day that was moved from the usual 2pm to 2:30pm to match post time of day 1 in 1996. Another good crowd on hand at Emerald as they listened to multiple speakers beginning with the Muckleshoot Tribe Chairman Donny Stevenson who spoke about the reasons and the importance of Emerald Downs to the tribe.
He acknowledged the current environment for all of Thoroughbred racing but was megt with a huge cheer and applause when he stated emphatically that racing at Emerald Downs isn’t going anywhere. It was the positive re-enforcement the industry was happy to hear.
Track President Phil Ziegler hosted the festivities and among other things acknowledged the employees that had been at Emerald from day 1. 30-year employee and Operations Director Bob Fraser announced all the names. And they are:
Joe Withee, Bret Anderson, Vern Baze, Joe Henry, Kathy Coffey, Steve Dunham, Eric Berry, Wayne Damron, Donna Wright, Rick McGrath, Catherine Farrell, Jose Romo-Tovar, Rico Traverso, Jerry Aanrud, Aimee Becker, Melinda Carlson, Randi Clark-Migliacio, Teresa Achen, Aleta Carpenter, Roni Nielson, Karen O’Brien, Tom Porter, Bob Fraser, Jack Hodge and Ron Crockett.
Ziegler then brought up Ron Crockett and Jack Hodge who both still work for the track and have been from its inception. Hodge remains the V-P and Crockett works as a consultant.
ESN got to sit with Crockett afterward and get his thoughts on this 30 year achievement
After 30 years Gallyn Mitchell is the all time leading rider at Emerald Downs and was at the 30th year ceremony. We had a chance to catch up with Mitchell as he was here from the very 1st race. He was aboard longshot Farewell Tour and finished last. It was hard to believe that he could envision himself as the top rider and top stakes rider of all time. Mitchell says it was quite a run at Emerald and just thankful to be a part of it all.
Side Trip
The racing world was anxious to see the new shiny track in Auburn, Washington open their doors and get horses on the track. But there was another track also being planned and constructed at the same time. Lonestar Race Track in Grand Prairie, Texas, just outside of Dallas, was being developed and their opening date of April 17, 1997 was 10-months after Emerald’s opening day.
We recently visited Lonestar and talked with race officials at their facility. We have more on Emerald’s “twin” at the bottom of this story and how both tracks have had similar chllenges but yet both are in or approaching their 30th year.
Opening Day 1996
It was June 20, 1996 when the admission gates first opened at Emerald Downs. It was a bright sunny day with temperatures in the uppers 70’s. More than 18,000 fans jammed into the brand new shiny home of Northwest Racing, replacing the legendary Longacres race track.
The 1st race was named in honor of the lone bank willing to work with Northwest Racing Associates led by Ron Crockett and Jack Hodge. The U-S Bank Stakes worth a purse of $35,000 would be the historical first ever race on the Auburn oval in the shadow of Mt Rainier.
The Fans were waiting
As the fans lined up for hours before the gates opened. When putting on events and you have 18,000 people excited for a piece of their history coming back to life before eyes, it’s already hard enough to make sure as few people have a negative experience as possible.
As fans came through the gates everyone got a commemorative T-Shirt with the slogan “The Rush Returns”.
Then add on top the pressure on everyone to make it right from parking to security to admissions, to concessions, the restaurant, presss box, the stewards quarters, photo finish, a brand new track announcer and from Australia, owners boxes, mutuel clerks and so on it is a long day for all the new employees or old-timers in a brand new facility.
And your first test is with 18,000 excited fans just wanting their summer tradition’s back after a 4-year absence.
There were many challenges during that first opening day including the sound system from the Winner’s Circle. One of the Queen’s of Rock N Roll and Seattle native, Anne Wilson of Heart was on hand to sing the very first National Anthem. As the crowd quited down, Wilson began to sing but the sound was not working. Thank goodness it was Wilson singing because most every0ne outside no matter where you were could hear her belt out the Anthem.
About halfway through the sound came on and to this day, in a personal opinion and nothing but kudos and appreciation to everyone who has sung the anthem since at Emerald Downs, there was still no better performance than Ann Wilson with all the technical issues and massi ve crowd that has topped the very first performance. Wilson set likely an unattainable standard.
What a way to set the stage for the first race in more than 4 years in Western Washington.
The Flag is Up!
Speaking of unattainable standard, it was a field of 7 3-year-old fillies going 1 mile. 2:32pm in the afternoon is when the gates burst open from starter Dugan Ashby and the very 1st race at Emerald Downs was underway. The $35,000 U-S Bank Stakes going 1-mile had 7 entries after a late scratch.
1996 U-S Bank Stakes entries and morning line odds
1 Ever Lasting Chris Loseth 6-1.
2 Ms Jill Z. Vicky Aragon 10-1.
3 Candles N Moonlite Vann Belvoir 5-2.
4 Call Shea Russell Baze 5-1.
5 Strawberry Morn Dave Wilson 7-2.
6 Farewell Tour Gallyn Mitchell 12-1.
7 Reasonably Royal Scratched
8 Fancy Stockings Luis Jauregui 9-2. .
Despite being the 7-2 2nd choice in the morning line Strawberry Morn was bet down as the 1-1 favorite. Strawberry Morn went straight to the front under the guidance of jockey David Wilson. Strawberry Morn, her connections and jockey were all invaders from Hastings Race in Vancouver BC. Wilson and Morn extended their lead at the half mile mark to a length over Call Shea with legendary rider with NW roots Russell Baze and Fancy Stockings under Luis Jauregui in a time of 46.40.
Strawberry Morn then began to ease away with a 2 length lead after 6-furlongs and it was at this point Ever Lasting with Chris Loseth began to stir from well behind but they let Strawberry Morn have her own way and it was a race for 2nd place.
At 1/4 pole Wilson took off the brakes and nudged Strawberry Morn and she exploded putting distance on the field with every stride. New track announcer to the Northwest, direct from Hong Kong was Robert Geller calling the first ever race and settling in for the next 20 years at Emerald.
Geller exclaimed, “Strawberry Morn and she is putting on a dashing display” as she rolled to a 10-length victory in a final time of 1:35.80. Let’s take a look at the video footage Emerald Downs recovered of the 1st race ever. Joe Withee narrates and Geller has the stretch call in this short historical video. That is followed by the full race replay.
The full Race Replay
Strawberry Morn was owned by C. A. and Geraldine Roberts and trained by Allan Jack. Strawberry Morn was BC bred by Traveling Victor out of Strawberry’s Charm by Strawberry Road and bred by the owners.
Running Order
1st (5) Strawberry Morn (David Wilson) $4.20 $3.20 $2.80
2nd (1) Ever Lasting (Chris Loseth) $6.00 $3.60
3rd (8) Fancy Stockings (Luis Jauregui) $3.60
Exacta 5-1 $26.40
4th (2) Ms Jill Z (Vicky Baze)
5th (4) Call Shea (Russell Baze)
6th (3) Candles N Moonlight (Frank Gonsalves)
7th (6) Farewell Tour (Gallyn Mitchell)
Firsts’ on the First Day!
1st Filly winner: Strawberry Morn, 1st Race
1st Mare winner: Heron’s Flight, 9th Race
1st Gelding winner: Elgrayceono, 2nd race
1st scratched horse: Reasonably Royal, 1st race
1st Washington bred, stallion, mare and breeder to win: Riot Lucky, 3rd Race by Staff Riot out of Lucky Argiste by Summer Time Guy bred by Golden Luck Stables.
1st Washington bred Stakes Winner: Sneakin Jake, 10th race by Table Run out of Mimi’s First by *Hawaii and was bred by Murdock MacPherson.
1st Emerald based trainer to win a race: Dan Markle 2nd race Elgrayceono
1st Emerald based Owner to win a race: Charles Dunn 2nd race Elgrayceono
1st Emerald jockey to win, 1st to win 2 races in a day and 1st to win 2 races in a row: Geoff Cooper 2nd race El Grayceono, 3rd race Riot Lucky
1st Investor to win a race: Charles Dunn 2nd race El Grayceono; 2nd Oak Crest Farms (Jack and Theresa Hodge) 9th Race Heron’s Flight; 3rd Murdock MacPherson 10th race Sneakin Jake
1st Investor Stakes win: Murdock MacPherson with Sneakin Jake in the 10th race.
1st former jockey turned trainer winner: Larry Pierce with Sneakin Jake in the 10th race.
1st single owner/trainer to win a race and 1st photo finish win by a neck: Elbert Applegate 5th race Esperit de Bogen
1st Photo finish win by a head: Pic O Them All 7th race
1st Photo win by a nose: Sneakin Jake 10th race
Highest $2 win and $2 place pays: Order Up Molly 47-1 in the 8th race paid $97.60 to win $36.60 to place.
Highest $2 show pay: Elgrayceono $19.60 2nd race.
Total Handle on day 1: $1,807,709
Total Attendance: 18,423
Cooper was the only rider to double on the 11 race card with the other winners including Wilson, Mike Allen, Leslie Mawing, Richard Ruhge, Pedro Alvarado, Frank Gonsalves, Chris Loseth, Vann Belvoir and Russell Baze.
1st Emerald Based Stakes Winner
It didn’t take long to get the first Emerald based horse, trainer and owner to score a stakes win. The 10th race was a second Stakes race on the opening day card and was won by 17-1 Sneakin Jake. Vann Belvoir who would go on to win the 1st jockey Championship in his final season of racing to get the Auburn Breeders Cup Stakes win with a brilliant run up the rail to catch Final Act by a nose.
Sneakin Jake was owned by Murdock and Mary Ellen MacPherson and trained by Larry Pierce.
This video is what we could find of this historic race.
Deja Vu
After the ceremony, speakers and plenty of pictures with friends old and new it was time to get back to the business of the day the 7 live races to be run on the 30th anniversary.
The Strawberry Morn Purse was the 1st race and a field of 5 went the original 1 mile distance. One entry was bet down to 4-5 favoritism. Oh My Vron with Adrian Castellanos sat in 2nd all the way to about halfway around the far turn and then the 3-year-old filly began to draw away and down the stretch simple destroyed this field winning by 12 lengths.
It looked like Strawberry Morn 30 years ago and if you could start both race replays from the quarter pole to the finish line it would look watching the race in a mirror.
Here is the 1st race, the Strawberry Morn Purse from the 30th anniversary card
The day went on and set up a great Sunday of racing on Father’s Day with the first four stakes races of the 2026 season. So what happened on Sunday? What Emerald Downs does better than any other race track in the country and that’s draw the NW fans who lined up for hours to christen the replacement of a legendary and beloved place and began it’s own history and place in NW racing lore.
As Ron Crockett said in our interview, the idea is for Emerald Downs to be here forever. The Auburn oval is sure making a heck of a run at it.
Emerald’s Sister Track
As we mentioned in at the beginning of this story, we would be taking a side trip to another track. Lonestar Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas opened their doors 10 months after Emerald Downs. Both tracks began nearly at the same time and both tracks have had a remarkedly similar journey to their 30th year.
We were in Texas earlier this month and we got out to Lonestar Park on Friday, June 12th. I had reached out to the media contact about comong down and wanting to talk with someone about Lonestar’s first 30 years and to compare notes between the two tracks.
The first thing that is very noticable is the physical structure of the tracks main building is very similar. The biggest difference is the size. Lonestar has a paddock behind the main building and they come out in a tunnel under the building to the track.
The Grandstand has more floors than Emerald but much of it is indoors with climate control. There are 7 or 8 floors at Lonestar. Lonestar also has a grassy area toward the top of the stretch like Emerald’s park area but they have their simulcast betting building in that area as well so they don’t have to open the main large facility for non-live racing days.
When we arrived, we had been there before but got our bearings and noticed a similar pre-race show that Joe Withee and Tom Harris do with their track announcer, Jim Byers and Rodney Nelson. After they were done I approached Jim Byers and introduced myself, we had a gvreat discussion but he had to go do his announcing duties and put me in touch with Rodney Nelson.
Rodney met me at the winner’s circle and set us up in a great box right on the finish line on the 2nd floor. We talked about both tracks and the similar path both have taken.
Similarities
Although not exact but Lone Star began from a vote of the people to create the facility through a Sports Authority and to lease it to an outside operator.
Emerald Downs began as NW Racing Associates but did not own the physical land either and leased it.
In 2011 the original owners of Lone Star had to declare bankruptcy and the operations were purchased by Global Gaming Solutions which is financially backed by the Chickasaw tribal nation. They saw the 47-million dollar price tag as a bargain at the time.
NW Racing Associates did not go through a bankruptcy but trying to dig out from the intiial investment was a slow process with the investors interested in letting someone else take over after nearly 20 years of operation.
This is when Ron Crockett made the deal with the Mucklshoot tribe who had already purchased the property and now would be sole owner of the whole operation.
Slot Machine Revenue
Both tracks, with tribal interests or ownership were hopeful of being able to add slot machines at the tracks to help the purse accounts for racing. This had saved or bailed out many tracks across the country where states had made a deal with their tribes to allow slot machines at tribal casino’s but a percentage would go to race tracks to help keep their purses up and mitigate the impact slot machines were having on the distribution of the gambling dollar.
However, the ultra conservative nature of Texas politics haven’t even allowed tribes to have any casinos let alone slot machines. Talking with Lone Star officials there doesn’t seem to be much movement for that to happen any time soon.
Emerald Downs faced a similar issue when tribe’s were allowed to add slot machines there was no mitigation to any businesses that may be impacted by slots which included not only horse racing but taverns and bars that offered pull tabs and punch boards or other gambling options.
Neither track has ever gotten one penny of slot machine revenue to help keep their purses up to help the racing industry.
New Idea’s
Lone Star decided that waiting around for any tribal gambling is likely a lost cause in Texas so what could they do to help stabalize the racing industry? This is when they came up with the idea of sharing the sales tax on equine or Ag products.
Texas like Washington is a sales tax based economy. Texas racing supporters put up a bill that would divert a percent of all sales tax collected on equine and Ag products to go direct to the racing industry to use as they needed to stabalize the industry. This immediately gave the purse accounts a shot in the arm they needed and purses went up to competitive levels.
Emerald Downs supporters attempted multiple ideas to work with the State legislature to do a similar program where a percent or specific amount would be raised through equine and Ag product sales. The first year it was sent through the House of Representatives it sailed through with a near perfect vote. Then Governor Inslee had indicated public support for the bill.
But in the Senate, the chair of the Ways and Means committee that brings bills to the floor for final votes was not in favor of the bill. She knew the bill would pass if it was brought up for a vote and so decided not to call the bill and it died. The Bill was attempted again the following year but the same chair was in place so again it had no chance and wasn’t even called to the floor.
There is a new chair of the Ways and Means committee but with state of the current budget it is not the best time to ask to divert money away from the legislature.
HISA issues
The happiness and relief of the bill in Texas was short lived when the Federal government with a bill from Mitch McConnell and signed into law by Donald Trump in 2020. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act created a new level of bureaucracy at the Federal level and to fund it, the money was to come from the industry.
This meant each track would be given a bill for their share of funding HISA operations. This impacts both tracks who were already behind the many tracks that collected revenue from slot machines and now another bill and not a small one they have to pay and then abide by all their new rules and regulations.
If you didn’t then you would be banned from selling your signal outside of your state so bettors in other states could not wager on Lone Star races.
Lone Star decided the amount they were being charged to comply was not worth the amount they would get by selling their signal so they have not paid the HISA fees and is the reason we cannot wager on Lone Star races at Emerald Downs.
We were told by Lone Star officials that the amount they would be charged would equal the amount they would get back so it didn’gt make sense to them to simply break even while adding a lot of new regulations that horsemen and staff would have to follow and allow HISA inspectors carte blanche access to their facility.
Lone Star is sticking to their position and waiting to see where all the lawsuits currently working their way through the courts end up and if there is any change in the current federal laws.
Emerald’s additional fees
Emerald Downs has their own issues with additional fees and they include not only paying the large HISA fees which they have chosen to do but Emerald Downs or I should say, horse racing is overseen by the State Racing Commission. When horse racing and para mutuel wagering was approved back in 1933 one of the caveats was the industry would pay for their own oversight.
This was shared for many years by Longacres, Yakima Meadows, Playfair and all the county fair meets that used to run. The commission was there to be the arbiter of any disputes between the racing entities. But now there is only one left, Emerald Downs and they have to pay the whole bill.
Between paying for the State Commission and HISA fees it cost the track between 1.5 and 2 million dollars a year. This is direct money that could go into multiple projects such as a turf course or renovations or straight to the purse account to raise the purses and attract more horses and horse people to the Northwest for summer racing.
Still Here
What’s amazing is I believe these two tracks are stilk the newest tracks built from an empty lot to the facilities they are now or certainly only few other actual new tracks, not revonated, but actual new tracks have been built since. On the other hand we can’t stop counting the tracks that have been shuttered.
Both Emerald Downs and Lone Star have never been given anything to keep their industries alive in their states. Emerald Downs has never taken a penny of help from the legislature or any government entity. They were not allowed to add other gambling options to help support their business. They were denied by one person of sharing in some of the tax revenue that is spent on supporting their business.
Yet with the leadership of the original investors and the support and how leadership from the Muckleshoot tribe Emerald Downs keeps attracting hundreds of thousands of fans each racing season. They offer the best professional sports entertainment value from a $10 admission charge to far cheaper menu options from the concession stands not including the many special offers run on many of the race days to a family friendly atmosphere with a gorgeous park area with free kids events like bouncy toys to pony rides.
Lone Star Park has also followed similar paths and have figured out how to survive. Both tracks refuse to give in and keep searching for ways to do more than survive.
I can’t speak for the horse people at Lone Star other than they certainly have some loyal and powerful folks who believe in Lone Star such as trainer’s Steve Asmussen, Bret Calhoun and Danny Pish which shows they may have horses at other and bigger tracks but Lone Star is home and they are committed to be part of Lone Star as long as the gates are still open.
You can say the same at Emerald Downs. No doubt the grit of our NW racing community is as strong and dedicated as any in the world. We’ve had plenty of challenges thrown at this group but yet 30 years later they are still here.
The stubborness and will is second to none in our corner of the world. Will we ever find a final answer to help stabalize this industry and help re-grow the horse population, the breeding industry, the number of races and race days that can be offered? It is hard to say. But if anyone thinks we can’t, there is no doubt they will be wrong in that conclusion.
As frustrating as these challenges can be, it is worth the time and effort to preserve this great sport and industry that so many people love. Horse racing in Washington state especially in the summer has been a tradition that has now been passed down and onto multiple generations.
Emerald Downs and Lone Star couldn’t be further apart politically than any two states. But maybe we are so far apart that we are actually closer than we understand because those often repeated differences are pounded away repeatedly.
If we look at the crazy similar 30 years of both tracks, I think we’re closer than we think.
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