Washington State | Horse Racing Free Tips

Emerald Downs Releases 2024 Stakes Schedule

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 June 15 stakes schedule. The track's older horse division kicks off Sunday, June 23, with the $50,000 Budweiser S., followed three weeks later by the $50,000 Governor's S. Seven stakes are slated for 2-year-olds, highlighted by the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity at a mile and 70 yards on closing day.

In addition to 21 Thoroughbred stakes, Sunday, Aug. 18 features a pair of QuarterHorse stakes: $30,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship and $40,000 Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge.

Opening day, Saturday, May 4, shares a spotlight with the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. The stable area opens Friday, Feb. 23 with training getting underway Monday, Feb. 26.

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Jockey Akifumi Kato Celebrates 50 Years Of Winners On His 69th Birthday

Veteran reinsman Akifumi Kato celebrated a unique milestone on Thursday at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Ariz., the afternoon of his 69th birthday. Kato won the day's fifth race aboard She's A Lady Griz, trained by his daughter, Kaylyn Kato, marking the 50th consecutive year the jockey has recorded a victory in the saddle.

Kato, son of a Japanese jockey turned trainer, was born in Osaka, Japan in 1952. His first winner came at the Ferndale Fair in California, but he rode primarily at Playfair in Spokane, Wash., where he was the all-time leader with 1,104 victories, including two riding titles and four victories in the Playfair Mile.

Kato is the only active jockey to have won a race at the four major Washington tracks past and present—Longacres, Playfair, Yakima Meadows and Emerald Downs.

Kato has won a total of 2,034 races from 19,982 starts, according to Equibase, earning $6,359,385.

The post Jockey Akifumi Kato Celebrates 50 Years Of Winners On His 69th Birthday appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Emerald to Raise Purses by 10%

Officials at Emerald Downs in Auburn, WA, have announced that the purses for all races are to be increased by 10% for the final three weeks of the 2020 racing season, Oct. 14 through Oct. 29.

Through 30 days of live racing, handle is averaging $1,871,799, a 67% increase over last year.

“We have been pleased at the increased betting on our races plus the increased wagering by Washington residents through the advanced deposit companies,” track president Phil Ziegler said.

The purse increase applies to the final seven days of racing this season.

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