Longacres Mile champion Slew's Tiz Whiz was voted 2022 Emerald Downs Horse of the Meeting for the 52-day season that concluded Sunday.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Slew's Tiznow, Slew's Tiz Whiz went 3-1-1 in seven starts and earned a meet-leading $142,112 for owner/breeder K D Thoroughbreds of Oak Harbor, Wash. Slew's Tiz Whiz captured two stakes including an authoritative 2 ¾-length score in the $150,000 Longacres Mile.
Slew's Tiz Whiz is the 17th Washington-bred to be honored with the track's top award and combined with the brilliantly fast Papa's Golden Boy to deliver the first Washington-bred one-two Longacres Mile finish in 27 seasons at Emerald Downs.
Trained by Tom Wenzel and ridden throughout the season by Jose Zunino, Slew's Tiz Whiz also won honors as Top Older Horse, Top Sprinter, and Top Washington-bred. The bay gelding is expected to return in 2023 to hopefully continue his budding rivalry with Papa's Golden Boy, the 6-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding who edged Slew's Tiz Whiz in Sunday's thrilling Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.
Wenzel enjoyed a smashing 2022 season, clicking at 27 percent wins and finishing third in earnings ($541,081) with only 81 starters. Wenzel swept juvenile honors with 2-year-old colt Lloyds Logic and 2-year-old filly Aloha Breeze, both campaigned by Washington Racing Hall of Fame member Dr. George Todaro.
A Kentucky-bred by The Factor, Lloyds Logic romped by 7 ¼ lengths in the $70,000 Gottstein Futurity and edged out double stakes winner Runnin Out of Days in the 2-year-old Colt & Gelding category. Aloha Breeze, also by The Factor, was 2-1-0 in three starts and delivered a 4 ¼-length triumph in the Barbara Shinpoch Stakes and is Top 2-Year-Old Filly.
Mike Phillips' Zippin Sevenz took honors as Top Older Filly or Mare. A 4-year-old Washington-bred by Coast Guard conditioned by Alan Bozell, Zippin Sevenz scored a $49 upset in the $75,000 Emerald Distaff and finished a close second to 2021 Washington Horse of the Year Blazingbellablu in Sunday's hard-fought Washington Cup Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Wil Win Stables and trainer Debbie Van Horne authored the meet's biggest underdog story with You're the Cause, an unlikely tale that saw the Creative Cause gelding voted Top 3-Year-old Colt or Gelding and Van Horne voted Top Training Achievement. Claimed for $8,000 on July 9, You're the Cause won, in order, a $15,000 claiming race for non-winner of two, the $75,000 Muckleshoot Derby, and a $10,000 starter allowance. Winning $2 mutuels on those wins paid $39.40, $115.60, and $16.20.
Ten Broeck Farms' Slack Tide is the meet's Top 3-Year-Old Filly. Trained by Blaine Wright, the daughter of Shaman Ghost scored dominant victories in the Seattle Stakes and Kent Stakes and, attempting two turns for the first time, finished second to Tiz a Macho Girl in the $75,000 Washington Oaks.
Prospera was voted Top Claimer, compiling a 4-1-0 record in five starts with earnings of $45,075. A 4-year-old Twirling Candy gelding, Prospera finished the season on a four-race winning streak including the last three with trainer Candi Cryderman and owner John Parker.
Alex Cruz won a third straight riding title with 90 wins, joining Rocco Bowen as the only riders in Emerald Downs history to win three consecutive titles. Cruz, Kevin Radke (77 wins), and Juan Gutierrez (70) dominated the proceedings, winning nearly 57 percent of the races at the meeting. Radke led all riders with five stakes wins while Gutierrez upped his all-time Emerald Downs' win total to 1,567.
Jorge Rosales won his first Emerald Downs' training title by a 36-29 margin over perennial powerhouses Blaine Wright and Frank Lucarelli. Rosales had been knocking on the door, finishing second in 2020 and third in 2021 and 2019. Wright led trainers with six stakes wins, the fourth time in six years he has led the category.
The yellow and black silks of John Parker monopolized the winner's circle with 25 wins—third highest single-season total in track history. For Parker, fourth all-time with 175 wins, it was his fifth leading owner title in seven years.
Trainer Debbie Peery received the Martin Durkan Award for leadership and cooperation, and fellow jockeys voted Radke the Lindy Aliment Award for sportsmanship and accomplishment throughout the meeting.
Abraaj was the leading stallion with 20 wins, ending a run of eight straight titles by Harbor the Gold.
LG Racing's Dr Tool captured the meet's top event for Quarter Horses, scoring by a neck in the $54,972 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge Stakes.
Emerald Downs 2022 Season Honors
Horse of the Meeting: Slew's Tiz Whiz
Top Older Horse: Slew's Tiz Whiz
Top Older Filly or Mare: Zippin Sevenz
Top 3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: You're the Cause
Top 3-Year-Old Filly: Slack Tide
Top Sprinter: Slew's Tiz Whiz
Top Washington-bred: Slew's Tiz Whiz
Top 2-Year-Old Colt or Gelding: Lloyds Logic
Top 2-Year-Old Filly: Aloha Breeze
Top Claimer: Prospera
Race of Meeting: Longacres Mile
Leading Jockey Wins: Alex Cruz (90)
Leading Jockey Stakes Wins: Kevin Radke (5)
Leading Trainer: Jorge Rosales (36)
Leading Trainer Stakes Wins: Blaine Wright (6)
Leading Owner: John Parker (25)
Leading Horse Wins: 4 (tie) Antecedence, Collecting Stars, Crooked Finger Ray, Prospera, Willing to Burn, You're the Cause, Zatter
Leading Horse Stakes Wins: 2 (tie) Papa's Golden Boy, Runnin Out of Days, Slack Tide, Slew's Tiz Whiz
Top Riding Achievement: Alex Cruz third straight title
Top Training Achievement: Debbie Van Horne with You're the Cause
Martin Durkan Award: Debbie Peery
Lindy Aliment Award: Kevin Radke
Leading Sire Wins: Abraaj (20)
Leading QH Trainer Wins: Edwin Rosales (3)
Leading QH Jockey Wins: Guilermo Suarez (3)
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