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Bob Meeking, Washington Circuit Staple, Dies at 94

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 longtime clients Fred and Cindy Desimone.

“I always enjoy being at the track,” Meeking said before the 2022 season. “I've been in this industry over many years and seen a lot of changes, but horse racing is a wonderful sport and I it's around for a long time.”

Robert A. Meeking was born June 6, 1928, in Victoria, BC, and saddled his first starter in 1946 at Lansdowne Park in suburban Vancouver. He trained for a remarkable 75 years, earning a reputation as a patient, high-percentage horseman while conditioning top-flight runners like Longacres Derby winners Mincemeat (1970) and Salad Sam (1976) and multiple stakes winner Bucksaw.

“I think my biggest thrill was my first winner at Santa Anita although a close second was [Mincemeat] winning two Derbies,” Meeking told Daily Racing Form.

In 2018, he participated in a unique contest at Emerald Downs when he saddled Trelawny to a runner-up finish in the 'Not in Any Rocking Chair' Starter Allowance for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $3,500 or less in 2017-18 and whose trainer was born on or prior to June 6, 1928. Trainers of the four runners entered were 94-year-old Arturo Arboleda, 91-year-old H.R. Pat Mullens, 90-year-old Ira Rhodes, and Meeking who had celebrated his 90th birthday the week prior to the race.

Meeking's final victory was July 22 with Emerald Sea, a 4-year-old filly that rallied for a two-length victory in a $15,000 claiming race; she would finish third Sept. 18 in the WA Cup Filly and Mare S. in what would be his final start as conditioner.

The post Bob Meeking, Washington Circuit Staple, Dies at 94 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Emerald Downs Announces 2023 Dates

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.

The post Emerald Downs Announces 2023 Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Emerald Downs Boosts Purse For Longacres Mile To $150,000 In 2022

Emerald Downs has announced 21 stakes worth $1,245,000 in purses for its 2022 live racing season that begins Sunday, May 15.

The track's signature race, the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, has been boosted to $150,000 and anchors an Aug. 14 stakes quadruple-header also featuring the $75,000 Emerald Distaff, $75,000 Muckleshoot Derby, and $75,000 Washington Oaks. The purse for the Mile is $50,000 larger than last year while the Distaff, Derby and Oaks are all up $25,000 from 2021.

The older horse division begins with the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes (six furlongs) on Sunday, June 26, followed by the $50,000 Governor's Stakes (6 ½ furlongs) on Sunday, July 24, and the 87th running of the Longacres Mile.

The stakes schedule features six stakes twin bills, along with two quadruple-headers, and a closing day triple-header on Sunday, Sept. 18, featuring the $70,000 Gottstein Futurity, the track's top race for 2-year-olds.

The $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings kick off stakes action on Sunday, June 19.

Seven stakes are offered for 2-year-olds—three apiece for colts and geldings and fillies—climaxing with the Gottstein Futurity at a mile and one-sixteenth.

Washington Cup features four stakes—$50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings and $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Fillies on Sunday, Aug. 28; $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and $50,000 Washington Cup Fillies & Mares on Sunday, Sept. 18. Both 2-year-old races are restricted to Washington-breds while the older horse events are open to both Washington and British Columbia-breds.

In addition to 21 Thoroughbred stakes, Emerald Downs offers two stakes races for Quarter Horses—$30,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship for 2-year-olds at 350 yards and the 12th running of the $40,000 Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge for 3-year-olds and up at 440 yards.

Opening day for the 2022 season is Sunday, May 15. The 52-day meet concludes Sunday, Sept. 18.

2022 EMERALD DOWNS STAKES SCHEDULE
Date. . . . . .Stakes. . . . . .Distance. . . . . .Purse
Sun June 19 Seattle Stakes (3YOF) 6F $50,000
Sun June 19 Auburn Stakes (3YO) 6F $50,000
Sun June 26 Hastings Stakes (3&UP F&M) 6F $50,000
Sun June 26 Budweiser Stakes (3&UP) 6F $50,000
Sun July 10 Angie C Stakes (2YOF) 5 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 10 King County Express (2YO C&G) 5 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 17 Kent Stakes (3YOF) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 17 Irish Day Stakes (3YO) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 24 Governor's Stakes (3&UP) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 24 WA State Legislators Stakes (3&UP F&M) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 7 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes (2YOF) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 7 WTBOA Lads Stakes (2YO C&G) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 14 Muckleshoot Derby (3YO) 1 1/16 M $75,000
Sun Aug 14 Washington Oaks (3YOF) 1 1/16 M $75,000
Sun Aug 14 Emerald Distaff (3&UP F&M) 1 1/16 M $75,000
Sun Aug 14 Longacres Mile (G3) (3&UP) 1M $150,000
Sun Aug 28 Bank of America Emerald Downs Challenge** (3&UP) 440Y $40,000
Sun Aug 28 John Deere Juvenile Challenge** (2YO) 350Y $30,000
Sun Aug 28 Washington Cup Juvenile Filly (2YOF WA) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 28 Washington Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings (2YO WA) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Sept 18 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic* (3& UP) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Sept 18 Washington Cup Filly & Mare Stakes* (3&UP F&M) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Sept 18 Gottstein Futurity (2YO) 1 1/16 M $70,000
*Washington & British Columbia bred
**Quarter Horse

The post Emerald Downs Boosts Purse For Longacres Mile To $150,000 In 2022 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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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.

The post ‘Still Doesn’t Feel Like It’s Real’: Bowen Riding High After Longacres Mile Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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