Longacres Mile

Graded stakes winner Five Star General (Distorted Humor--Party of Interest, by Bernardini) will begin his stud career next season at Covilar's Owl Hollow Farm in Floyd, Virginia. Covilar, founded by Dr. Josep Bassaganya-Riera, acquired a 50% ownership share in the 8-year-old stallion through a strategic partnership with existing owner Kenny Alhadeff. Since acquiring Owl Hollow Farm in 2021, Covilar has worked to transform the property into a modern, world-class breeding facility. Five Star General's pedigree, performance and versatility aligns with Bassaganya-Riera's long-term vision for the farm, according to a release...

For the 30th racing season, Emerald Downs will have 51 days of live racing beginning Apr. 27 and ending Sept. 7, the track announced Friday evening. The meeting will run through 13 Fridays, 18 Saturdays, and 18 Sundays as well as special racing days on Memorial Day May 26 and the annual Fireworks Spectacular July 3. There will be a mid-season break spanning July 4 to July 10, and the stakes schedule will be crowned by the 90th renewal of the Longacres Mile. "We are looking forward to the 30th...

The 89th edition of the Longacres Mile headlines a 21-race stakes schedule worth $1,150,000 for Emerald Downs at the 55-day meeting from May 4 to Sept. 15. The $150,000 Longacres Mile anchors a stakes quadruple-header Sunday, Aug. 11. Billed as Championship Sunday, it co-features the $50,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby for 3-year-olds, and $50,000 Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. A total of 16 stakes are scheduled on Sundays with five set for Saturdays, including the $50,000 Seattle S. for 3-year-old fillies that kicks off...

The 56th annual WTBOA Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale was held Tuesday, Aug. 22 at the WTBOA Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs racetrack in Auburn, Washington. After seven outs, 75 yearlings went through the sales ring. Topping this year's venue was Hip 71, a colt by first-year stallion Barkley (Munnings), winner of the 2018 GIII Longacres Mile before retiring to Nina and Ron Hagen's El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw. The colt sold for $55,000. The Hagens bred the saletopper, who was one of a trio of yearlings purchased by...

Darlyne Krieg's homebred Slew's Tiz Whiz (Slew's Tiznow) was named Richard Wright Memorial Horse of the Year and Scatter Training Center champion older horse during a ceremony honoring 2022 Washington-bred champions held Saturday at Emerald Downs. Tom Wenzel, who trained the now 5-year-old gelding to wins in the Longacres Mile and Governor's S., received the Backstretch Chaplaincy Special Training Achievement Award. Also Saturday, Blazingbellablu (Grazen) was named champion older filly or mare; Anthonys Cleopatra (Constitution) was named champion 3-year-old filly; Itsallabouttheride (Harbor the Gold) was named champion 3-year-old male; The...

Emerald Downs 52-day meet will feature 23 stakes worth $1,240,000 in purses for its 2023 live racing season that begins Saturday, May 6 and ends Sunday, Sept. 17. The 88th running of the $150,000 Longacres Mile will anchor the Aug. 13 stakes quadruple-header, which includes three $50,000 races: Emerald Distaff, Muckleshoot Derby and Washington Oaks. The track's premier event for 3-year-olds and up, the Longacres Mile was won last year by KD Thoroughbreds Slew's Tiz Whiz (Slew's Tiznow) over Lusk Racing's Papa's Golden Boy (Harbor the Gold). Click here, for...

Bob Meeking, a trainer for over seven decades and one of the Washington state's most popular and respected horsemen, passed away last week at age 94. Meeking, who owned the 60-acre Allaire Farms in Poulsbo with his wife Barbara, had been in poor health the last few years. After missing 2021 while dealing with treatment for colon cancer, Meeking returned to Emerald Downs in 2022 with a nine-horse stable, scoring victories with runners like Wheel Rally and Emerald Sea, and finishing 10th in the $150,000 Longacres Mile with Kingmeister for...

Emerald Downs will offer 52 days of live racing in 2023, beginning May 6 and continuing through Sept. 17. The 2023 season features 20 Saturdays, 19 Sundays, 11 Fridays, and two Mondays. The meet's stakes schedule, which will be released in full in December, is highlighted by the 88th running of the Longacres Mile. Live racing dates were approved at last week's monthly meeting of the Washington Horse Racing Commission.

Officials at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington, have released a revised stakes schedule for a 44-day meeting that runs June 22 through Oct. 4. The 85th running of the $100,000 GIII Longacres Mile S., as usual, is the focal point of the meet, but has been moved back to be run Sept. 13 on a program that also includes the Emerald Distaff S. The richest of the 14 remaining stakes is the $60,000 Gottstein Futurity S. for the 2-year-olds on closing day. The schedule features six stakes for 3-year-olds and...