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Top Executive Named Emerald Downs’ Horse Of The Meeting

Top Executive, undefeated in three starts and the only horse to win three stakes races, was voted 2021 Emerald Downs Horse of the Meeting.

Trained by Blaine Wright and owned by John and Janene Maryanski and Gail and Gerald Schneider, Top Executive swept the 3-year-old colts and geldings division with victories in the Auburn Stakes, Irish Day Stakes and Muckleshoot Derby. The 3-year-old Street Boss gelding won at distances of 6 furlongs, 6 ½ furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, and topped the meet in earnings with $82,800.

In addition to Horse of the Meeting, Top Executive was honored as the meet's Top 3-Year-Old. Coastal Kid, whom Top Executive defeated in the Muckleshoot Derby, won Sunday's Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.

It marks the second Horse of the Meeting in three seasons for Wright, who also trained 2019 winner Anyportinastorm. Wright also nearly won a second straight Longacres Mile, saddling Seamist Racing's 5-year-old gelding Windribbon to a runner-up effort in the Longacres Mile (G3).

Papa's Golden Boy took honors as Top Older Horse, Top Sprinter and Top Washington-bred. Trained by Vince Gibson and owned by Gary Lusk, Deborah Lusk, Jeff Lusk, and Peyton Lusk, the 5-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding won three races including the Budweiser Stakes and Governor's Stakes and ran meet-fastest times at 5 ½ furlongs (1:02.11) and 6 ½ furlongs (1:14.50).

Daffodil Sweet won four races including the Washington State Legislators Stakes and was voted Top Older Filly or Mare. Trained by the retiring Chris Stenslie and owned by One Horse Will Do Corporation and Steve Shimizu, Daffodil Sweet was Top 3-Year-Old Filly of 2020 and is the only horse to win Emerald Downs titles in 2020 and 2021.

Nite and Day Stables and Joanne Todd's Bayakoas Image was a unanimous choice as Top 3-Year-Old Filly. A British Columbia-bred by Lent, Bayakoas Image was two for two with a 5 ¾-length victory in the Washington Oaks and a neck victory in the Washington Cup Filly & Mare Stakes. Kay Cooper, the meet's leading stakes trainer with five wins, trained Bayakoas Image at Emerald Downs.

A pair of Washington-breds took honors in the juvenile ranks, with Cobra Jet (Curlin to Mischief-Atta Gal Val) the Top-2-Year-Old Male and Koron (Nationhood-Muchas Coronas) Top 2-Year-Old Filly.

Owned by REV Racing, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trainer Frank Lucarelli, Cobra Jet compiled a 3-1-0 record in four starts including blowout victories in the King County Express and Washington Cup Juvenile Colt & Gelding.

Owned by Blue Ribbon Racing Ladies and trained by Cooper, Koron was 3 for 3 and swept the Barbara Shinpoch Stakes and Washington Cup Juvenile Fillies in convincing fashion.

Float On was voted Top Claimer, compiling a 4-1-2 record in eight starts while winning two races apiece for trainers Charles Essex and Candi Cryderman. A 3-year-old Bluegrass Cat gelding, Float On was one of six horses to win four races at the meet: Bella's Back, Daffodil Sweet, Float On, Judicial, Mean Sharon, Queen Breezy.

Alex Cruz won a second consecutive riding title, edging out Julien Couton 75-74 for the crown while Juan Gutierrez finished a close third with 72 wins. Cruz also won Top Riding Achievement for his amazing Aug. 19 triumph without irons aboard 2-year-old filly Akasi, and the Lindy Award for accomplishment and sportsmanship as voted by the Emerald Downs' jockeys.

Joe Toye won his first Emerald Downs' training title by a 29-26 margin over seven-time champion Frank Lucarelli. Toye, who has trained at Emerald Downs since the track opened in 1996, also was voted Top Training Achievement for his season-long excellence and 23.5 win percentage.

McKenna Anderson was the top apprentice rider with 12 victories, finishing the meet strongly after a 0 for 17 start.

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Background's dramatic victory with Rocco Bowen aboard in the $100,000 Longacres Mile (G3) was voted Race of the Meeting. Trained by Mike Puhich and owned by Bob and Molly Rondeau, the 4-year-old Khozan gelding tagged Windribbon in the final strides to capture the 86th running of the region's most famous race.

Trainers Bob Bean and Bonnie Jenne received the Martin Durkan Award for leadership, cooperation, and sportsmanship throughout the meeting. Bean was a popular new addition to the training roster and won with 8 of 81 starters and was accompanied during morning workouts by sidekick canine Brownie.

Harbor the Gold was the leading stallion for the eighth straight year and 11th in the last 12, siring 22 winners to edge Abraaj (21) and Coast Guard (20) for the title.

Cm Once Ina Bluemoon captured the meet's top event for Quarter Horses, scoring a $46.40 upset in the $48,994 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge Stakes.

Emerald Downs 2021 Season Honors
Horse of the Meeting: Top Executive
Top Washington-bred : Papa's Golden Boy
Top Older Horse: Papa's Golden Boy
Top Sprinter: Papa's Golden Boy
Top Older Filly or Mare: Daffodil Sweet
Top 3-Year-Old Male: Top Executive
Top 3-Year-Old Filly: Bayakoas Image
Top 2-Year-Old Male: Cobra Jet
Top 2-Year-Old Filly: Koron
Top Claimer: Float On
Race of Meeting: Longacres Mile
Leading Jockey Wins: Alex Cruz (75)
Leading Jockey Stakes Wins: Kevin Orozco (5)
Leading Trainer: Joe Toye (29)
Leading Trainer Stakes Wins: Kay Cooper (5)
Leading Owner: John Parker (19)
Leading Horse Wins: Bella's Back (4), Daffodil Sweet (4), Float On (4), Judicial (4), Mean Sharon (4), Queen Breezy (4)
Leading Horse Stakes Wins: Top Executive (3)
Leading QH Trainer Wins: Jose Rosales Gomez (2)
Top Riding Achievement: Alex Cruz wins without irons on Akasi
Top Training Achievement: Joe Toye 1st title
Leading Apprentice: McKenna Anderson (12)
Durkan Award: Robert Bean, Bonnie Jenne
Lindy Award: Alex Cruz
Jockeys Valet of the Year: Dan Brock
Leading Sire Wins: Harbor the Gold (22)

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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.

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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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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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