Emerald Downs | Horse Racing Free Tips

Long-Time Washington Horse Trainer, Former NFL Player Junior Coffey Dies At Age 79

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.

Mr. Coffey died at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, according to wife Kathy Coffey.

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 NFLs 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 No. 5 in all-time win percentage at 20.13 percent. 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 March 21, 1942, in Kyle Texas, 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 September 23, 2018.

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

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Top Executive Completes Sweep Of Emerald Downs’ Sophomore Stakes

Top Executive outfought Coastal Kid in an epic stretch duel and notched a head victory Sunday in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Kevin Orozco at 123 lbs., Top Executive ran a mile and one-sixteenth in 1:42.25 and paid $5.80 as the betting favorite. With the victory, Top Executive completed a season sweep of the 3-year-old colts and geldings division at Emerald Downs, winning in order the Auburn Stakes at six furlongs, Irish Day Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs and Muckleshoot Derby at eight and a half furlongs.

A Kentucky-bred by Street Boss, Top Executive earned $27,500 to boost his career bankroll to $115,198. His overall record is 5-0-0 in eight starts including four stakes victories at Emerald Downs. Blaine Wright, now tied with Bud Klokstad for fourth all-time with 46 stakes wins at Emerald Downs, is the winning trainer.

Top Executive stalked Coastal Kid through fractions of :22.50, :45.58 and 1:09.53, swept to the lead into the lane and was fully extended to hold Coastal Kid at bay.

“(Top Executive) wanted to get to the lead and I had to kind of strangle him early,” Orozco said. “He was pulling me forward and I just let him go. It was a tough race, the other horse kept battling too.”

Coastal Kid, the 3 to 1 third choice ridden by Wayne Barnett at 123 lbs., did everything but win the race. Despite setting fast early fractions the son of Coast Guard was resilient through the lane, battling head and head with Top Executive every inch of the stretch run before settling for second.

Slew's Tiz Whiz, a 13 to 1 longshot ridden by Jose Zunino at 123 lbs., rallied late for third place, 1 ½ lengths behind Coastal Kid.

House of Lords finished fourth, followed by 5 to 2 second choice Bobby Brinkley, Naval Escort, Falsely Accused, Nationheart, Ididntseethatcomin and Kowboykabin.

John Loftus of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe presented the winning trophy to the owners in the winner's circle.

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Canadian shipper Bayakoas Image powered to the lead into the stretch and drew off for a 5 ¾-length victory in the $50,000 Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

Ridden by Alexander Marti at 121 lbs. Bayakoas Image covered the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:42.74 and paid $7.80 as the second choice in the wagering. Kay Cooper handled saddling chores at Emerald Downs for owners Brian O'Connell and Joanne Todd of Vancouver, British Columbia.

The winner stalked Curious Sensation through six furlongs in 1:11.99, took command a quarter mile from home and drew off to win with complete authority.

“When I asked her at the quarter-pole, she flew home,” Marti said. “She's such a good filly.”

A British Columbia-bred by Lent, Bayakoas Image won three of four starts this summer at Hastings Racecourse including a recent allowance victory at Sunday's Oaks distance. Her overall record is 4-2-0 from seven starts with earnings of $71,994 including $27,500 for Sunday's triumph.

Broad Approval, the 2 to 1 favorite ridden by Leslie Mawing at 121 lbs., rallied from eighth to take second place for trainer Sandi Gann and owner Glen Todd. A Daughter of Carpe Diem, Broad Approval finished runner-up to Bayakoas Image twice this summer at Hastings and most recently second to Blazingbellablu in the Kent Stakes at Emerald Downs.

Ms Lynn, a 16 to 1 outsider ridden by Julien Couton at 121 lbs, edged Blazingbellablu for third place.

Blazingbellablu, co-second choice at 5 to 2, had her three-race winning streak snapped while settling for fourth. Rounding out the order of finish were Our Lyla Grace, Curious Sensation and Stellaczar (dead heat for seventh), La Una, Aquinas, and Street Shadow.

Tempered Steel, dam of Bayakoas Image, was a triple stakes winner at Hastings Racecourse while Marti currently ranks third with 31 wins at the Vancouver track.

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WTBOA Summer Yearling And Mixed Sale Looking To Build On Past Successes

This year's 53rd annual WTBOA Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale will be held Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the WTBOA Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash.

The sale will begin at 2:00 p.m. PT with the chance to bid on a trip for two to the 2021 Breeders' Cup World Championships, to be held at Del Mar on Nov. 5 and 6. Monies raised will benefit the many charitable industry programs sponsored by the Washington Thoroughbred Foundation.

WTBOA Sales statistics compare very favorably with larger Thoroughbred sales across the nation. In the 2021 Summer Sales Guide published by BloodHorse Marketwatch (2016-18 sales), WTBOA Sale graduate statistics show: 53% have earned more than their auction price, 14% stakes horses, 6.4% stakes winners, 28% 2-year-old winners and 13% earners of $50,000-$150,000.

Among the 98 yearlings cataloged are sons and daughters of proven sires Liam's Map, Stay Thirsty, Smiling Tiger, Cross Traffic, Stormy Atlantic. Cairo Prince, Dialed In, Grazen and Palace Malice.

Among the local stalwarts represented are Atta Boy Roy, Coast Guard, the late Abraaj – in his final crop – and the next-to-last full crop of regional powerhouse Harbor the Gold.

In addition, first crop stallions or freshman sires with yearlings include American Freedom, Cloud Computing, Collected, Danzing Candy, Flintshire (GB), Girvin, Gold Rush Dancer, Lord Nelson, Prospect Park and Ransom the Moon.

In this the second year of abbreviated race schedules, WTBOA Sales graduates have already placed in 27 stakes races. Last year, six of the seven year-end Washington champions, including horse of the year and Keeneland stakes winner Bodenheimer, were products of the WTBOA Sales program.

And the sales updates keep rolling in. Both Jaded Tiger and Ima Happy Cat, who have siblings in the sale, have added to their stakes tallies since the catalog went to press. In addition, first-time stakes winners Big City Lights, Bold Arch, Ms Lynn and Dolce Isa and stakes-placed juvenile Smiling Salsa will all help to increase interest in their yearling siblings.

WTBOA-sold maiden special weight winners have appeared this spring and summer at Santa Anita, Prairie Meadows. Golden Gate Fields, Pleasanton, and of course Emerald Downs. Among those notable debuts are juveniles Cobra Jet, who won his first outing by 6 3/4 lengths and then added a 13 1/2-length trouncing in the King County Express Stakes in his second; A View From Above, won first start by seven; Slack Tide, who broke her maiden by three lengths in the Angie C. Stakes; and Check the Gear, who just a week ago won his first start by 11 1/4 lengths in a quick :57.58.

For more information or to request a sales catalog, please call (253) 288-7878 or e-mail maindesk@wtboa.com. The catalog pages, including the three supplemental pages not in the bound copy, will be updated weekly (both female lines and sires) by The Jockey Club Information Systems and are available for viewing on the WTBOA website at washingtonthoroughbred.com/sales/. You can also sign-up for the sales catalog iPad app at Equineline.com.

Photos and videos of many of the yearlings are also available on the WTBOA website.

Online bidders will need to register and apply for online bidding credit via the WTBOA website or at wtboa.equibid.com. Internet bidders are strongly encouraged to pre-register for the sale no later than 48 hours prior to sale time.

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‘Still Doesn’t Feel Like It’s Real’: Bowen Riding High After Longacres Mile Win

The morning after the biggest victory of his riding career, jockey Rocco Bowen was still on an emotional high.

“It still doesn't feel like it's real,” Bowen said. “This is home for me. Being back at Emerald Downs and riding for guys like Alan Bozell and Tom Wenzel, seeing Sally (Steiner) in the kitchen, getting a big cheer from fans in the jockey introductions. And then winning the (Longacres) Mile, it's unbelievable.”

The only jockey to win three straight riding titles at Emerald Downs, Bowen rode three winners in his first appearance here since 2018. The biggest victory, of course, was a desperate head triumph aboard 2 to 1 favorite Background in the 86th running of the $100,000 Longacres Mile (G3).

Showing resilience and tenacity in a grueling stretch run, Background nailed long shot Windribbon in the final jump, completing the mile in 1:36.67.

With the victory, Bowen, a 32-year-old native of Barbados, became the first black jockey to win the Longacres Mile. It also was his first graded stakes victory.

While the post-race winner's circle scene with trainer Mike Puhich, owners Bob and Molly Rondeau and a tearful Bowen was exuberant, the rider said he spent a quiet Sunday evening dining at Applebee's. Rocco plans to trail-ride around Enumclaw with friends the next couple days before returning to Chicago to finish out Arlington Park and ride the first two weeks at Hawthorne. After that comes vacation with family in Barbados and then back to Oaklawn Park for that track's earliest ever opening Dec. 3.

Background, meanwhile, was relaxing at Pegasus Training and Rehabilitation Center in Redmond, where he was about to enjoy a salt-water spa.

“We'll give him a little break at Pegasus,” Puhich said. “(Background) hasn't had an easy race all year, so he deserves a little time off. We'll get him ready for the same program next year, starting off at Oaklawn Park.”

A 4-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Khozan, Background is 3-2-1 in seven starts this year with earnings of $208,536. With Bowen riding, Background won two rich allowance races at Oaklawn Park ($106,000 and $88,000) and the $100,000 Longacres Mile. Background has an overall mark of 4-2-4 in 14 starts with earnings of $287,532.

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