Emerald Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Purse Increase At Emerald For 2022

Emerald Downs will raise overnight purses by 10% for the 2022 racing season, the second consecutive year for such an increase.

After not being able to attend the races in 2020, fans have returned to the Emerald grandstand this year and revenues have exceeded expectations.

“Our race fans came out to enjoy the beautiful weather, great racing, and popular promotions,” said track president Phil Ziegler. “Revenue from admissions, food & beverages, and wagering were all better than projected. That enables us to put more money towards purses in 2022.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a meeting between track officials and representatives from both horsemen and breeders' groups. The purse for the track's marquee event, the GIII Longacres Mile S., will be bumped to $150,000, a $50,000 increase from its two most recent runnings. The shipping bonus will also return.

The Emerald backstretch is scheduled to open at the beginning of March. More details on the 2022 season and stall applications will be available later this fall.

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Emerald Downs Announces 10 Percent Purse Increase

Emerald Downs has announced a 10 percent purse increase on overnight races for the 2022 season. This is the second consecutive year that purses have increased by 10 percent.

The 2021 season marked the return of fans after running in front of an empty grandstand in 2020.

Track President Phil Ziegler was pleased to have the fans back: “Our race fans came out to enjoy the beautiful weather, great racing, and popular promotions. Revenue from admissions, food & beverages, and wagering were all better than projected. That enables us to put more money towards purses in 2022.”

Each season the track receives a purse supplement from the Muckleshoot Tribe, who own and operate Emerald Downs.

The purse increase announcement comes after the track met with representatives from both the horsemen and breeders' group. Incentive programs including the popular shipping bonus will return. The 2022 Longacres Mile (G3) will have a purse of $150,000, a $50,000 increase from the past two years.

Emerald Downs' stable area is scheduled to open at the beginning of March. Details of the 2022 season along with stall applications will be available later this Fall.

For more information on Emerald Downs visit www.emeralddowns.com or call 253-288-7000.

The post Emerald Downs Announces 10 Percent Purse Increase appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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No Stirrups? No Problem For Jockey Alex Cruz In Emerald Downs Victory

In one of the most incredible riding feats in track history, jockey Alex Cruz rode the entire 5 ½ furlongs without irons and somehow emerged victorious aboard Akasi in Sunday's fourth race at Emerald Downs.

Cruz lost his irons leaving the gate, dropped over 15 lengths behind the field as Cruz tried in vain to get his feet back in the stirrups, raced extremely wide into the stretch, and somehow managed to rally past all four rivals for a three-quarter-length victory in 1:06.52 for 5 ½ furlongs.

Although Cruz was unable to get his feet in the irons, he maintained the wherewithal to urge Akasi through the stretch and win the race. Owned and bred by Jack Hodge's Oak Crest Farm and trained by David Martinez, Akasi paid $4.20 as the betting favorite

“At the start, she stumbled and ducked out, that's when I lost my irons,” Cruz said. “I tried to recover but it was so muddy and my boots were slipping. I was going to pull her up going into the turn, but when we started to gain some ground, we went on with it!”

A 2-year-old Run Away and Hide filly, Akasi had finished third in all three previous starts, including a runner-up effort in the Angie C Stakes.

A 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Cruz is vying for a second straight riding title at Emerald Downs. Cruz recorded four wins Sunday and is tied with Julien Couton for first with 73 wins apiece. Two days remain in the season–Saturday, Sept. 25 and Sunday, Sept. 26.

In the winner's circle, Hodge marveled at Cruz' riding feat.

“I've always loved Alex Cruz because he always rides hard the whole race even if he's not going to win,” Hodge said. “Today he had every reason to pull my filly up after losing his irons, but he knows the filly and her closing style and chose to continue riding. Alex is a tremendous athlete.”

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Washington Trainer Junior Coffey Dies

Junior Coffey, a star running back at the University of Washington and one of the state's most successful Thoroughbred trainers, died of congestive heart failure Monday at age 79.

A three-time All-Coast selection and three-time Honorable Mention All-American at Washington, Coffey led the Huskies in rushing in 1962 and 1964 and played professionally with the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants. His pro career included a rookie stint on the Packers' 1965 championship squad coached by the famed Vince Lombardi.

After a knee injury curtailed his NFL career, Coffey turned to the world of horse racing as a Thoroughbred trainer in the mid-1970s, becoming one of the state's most respected trainers at Longacres and later Emerald Downs. At Emerald Downs, Coffey ranks fifth in all-time win percentage at 20.13%. He preferred a relatively small stable of runners and was “hands on” with every horse. “My objective,” he said, “is to have a sound and happy horse.”

Born Mar. 21, 1942, in Kyle, TX, Coffey starred at Dimmitt (Tex.) High School and is enshrined in the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. Coffey said he wound up a Husky because Washington assistant Chesty Walker had seen Coffey play in Texas and convinced him to come to Seattle. At that time, colleges in the Southwest Conference were not integrated.

Emerald Downs founder Ron Crockett entrusted some of his top horses to Coffey including 2012 Belle Roberts winner Cielator and 2007 Longacres Mile runner-up Raise the Bluff.

“Junior Coffey was one of a kind in so many ways,” Crockett said. “He was an accomplished athlete, a talented horse trainer, a philosopher, a friend to many and most of all kindhearted. He was a trailblazer.”

Coffey won 174 races at Emerald Downs, including eight stakes races. He conditioned the filly Run Away Stevie to nine stakes victories including stakes triumphs at both Longacres and Emerald Downs. In his final start as a trainer, Coffey saddled Levitation to a neck victory under Rocco Bowen on Sept. 23, 2018.

Coffey is survived by his wife, Kathy. Funeral arrangements are pending.

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