A bold statement the day before the launch, “Racetrack Will Help Put Auburn On The Map,” was boldly displayed in the headline of the local edition of The Seattle Times on Wednesday, June 19, 1996. The construction of Emerald Downs, which took the place of the long-standing and cherished oval at Longacres, was expected to serve as a focal point for regional growth and usher in a new age for the city, drawing “gamblers, shoppers, and spectators,” according to the article. While some of the people cited expressed optimism that Auburn’s “blue-collar and backward” background would be forgotten, others expressed worries about “traffic and pollution.” The best routes to Emerald Downs were suggested in an article that was adjacent. How did they do it again in the dark ages before smartphones?
Regarding the building boom, one somewhat tongue-in-cheek source stated, “I’m waiting for the blue herons.” I’m going when they start to leave. The 30th season of Emerald Downs premiered on Sunday, marking a significant milestone. The seven-race card with five and six-horse fields did nothing to depress the emotions of the assembled throng, and the total handle of $894,464 was the biggest in two years. This sport is still very much alive and well, as demonstrated by the base, who obviously enjoy going out to the paddock and yelling at the top of their lungs when runners enter the stretch. “It’s really satisfying to see people coming here because of our promotions and the experiences we provide out for our 30th season because their support is essential and so is having the horses to put on the track,” Emerald President Phil Ziegler said.”
“I’ll take people I meet for the first time down to the winner’s circle to have their picture taken and they have the time of their lives,” said Dean Mazzuca, who runs an Emerald syndicate. After that, they all return.
Headwinds at thirty
Although Emerald Downs is a stunning facility with bald eagle nests on light poles, there are headwinds and some challenging sailing ahead. The state-bred breeding program, which was formerly strong, is now in ruins. Not very long ago, it boasted over 40 sires for its stallion series and was ranked fifth in the country. It’s hard to fill a Washington-bred race now that there are eight.
Then there is the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) controversy, which has received a lot of media attention. The regulator has modified its approach to evaluating racecourse costs, and it will switch to a technique that is based only on the percentage of annual racing starts starting next year, as TDN’s Dan Ross reported during the last HISA Budget Town Hall. The tale is still ongoing and there are many questions regarding whether Emerald will be able to pay the payment when it is due, since HISA authorities visited the state over the weekend. What is known is that the days of a strong racing archipelago connecting the sport all year round are long gone. Other places that lost important parts of their circuit have experienced the same situation. Now, the Auburn track survives on its own. Like the Baltimore Colts, Longacres disappeared in the night and was suddenly sold.
Fair circuit courses like Sun Downs were closed, as were Yakima Meadows and Playfair Race Course in the east. Trainer Blaine Wright remarked, “We are on an island here.” The journey to Santa Anita and down to Turf Paradise has become quite difficult since California racing in the north was shut down. Because purses cannot support more days, the number of racing days is set at 51 here. This season runs until September 7, however the days are spaced out. I’m thinking of simply taking the winter off. I will have to make a difficult choice regarding my next course of action. It is difficult to just go down to these other tracks.
Island Life at Thirty The difficulties of shipping and uprooting your family were also mentioned by other seasoned coaches who have had success at Emerald, such as Frank Lucarelli and Tom Wenzel. “You want to be there when you’re from Washington and it’s your home,” Wenzel remarked. “Everyone has families, and it’s difficult to leave them behind. It’s expensive to maintain separate dwellings, and I can tell you that everything is 30% more expensive now. This is illogical from an economic standpoint. To make this more competitive, we need to increase our purses, but that hasn’t happened. Lucarelli is getting ready to switch his string back to Emerald Downs as the Turf Paradise meet comes to an end next week.
Having a string that is already in form is one of his advantages. All of his runners will arrive prepared to race, saving him the precious time it would take to condition them in Auburn. Turf Paradise has turned into a winter haven, but the expenses are significant, according to the seasoned conditioner. It’s not as simple as it might seem to even consider Santa Anita or Del Mar. Going to California isn’t as easy as it seems because, he explained, “there is a very good chance that a few horses you take down there and enter them at the level they belong to will be claimed off of you.” “There’s no use in them if they can’t compete at higher levels going.”
Having nearly 700 horses on the site now, with the possibility of the barns filling up at 1200, may be seen as a plus, according to the three Emerald-based trainers who expressed their affection for their home track. “I’m inviting everyone in California who I got to know at Golden Gate before it closed and down at Santa Anita to visit Washington. Perhaps it will, and we will have the opportunity to make our own backyard even more competitive.
Emerald’s History at 30
In keeping with the competitive ethos, the Emerald grandstand features a well-curated Hall of Fame honoring Washington racing.
It serves as a reminder that, if we have the patience to observe it, time can stop when we pass it and see the names of the horses and people who sacrificed everything. Change is unavoidable, and a lot of what occurs is probably not what we anticipated. However, there is another significant aspect of Emerald Downs at the beginning of its 30th season, and it concerns the equestrian enthusiasts. Like at any racecourse, Auburn is alive with the spirit of racing, but it’s also a part of the city. You might run into past founders like Jack Hodge while strolling around the area; he has pleasant memories of creating the building in the early 1990s and carries such pride that the horsemen in the state came together to save the industry. Or you could converse with Doug Moore, who has spent over 50 years in the business–first as a jockey–and is currently the Washington Horse Racing Commission Chair.
You must be amazed by the aura that surrounds Joe Withee, the Director of Publicity, whose love for Emerald is evident in every pore of his body. You can tell he’s serious when he talks about racing in this region of the world. Perhaps you might sit and listen to Steward Donny Smith. His tales of the days of hand-keeping records and how his father rode with George “The Iceman” Woolf at Santa Anita seem like they belong in a Laura Hillenbrand book. Last but not least, senior investigator for the commission Hugh Wales is your man if you want a crash education in the dangers of jockeying and a good story about the inner workings of a jock’s chamber. The inhabitants of the history are there.
Despite being an island, Emerald Downs is still shown on the map today. Since the Thoroughbreds haven’t left yet, much like the blue herons, there is still time to visit.