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Emerald Downs
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Emerald Downs History |
Emerald Downs is located between
Seattle and Tacoma in the Auburn valley, Auburn, Washington. It's a
167-acre one-mile thoroughbred racing horse track featuring an
ultra-modern six level stadium and a complete view of the racing oval.
On 21 September 1992, Longacres ran its closing race after sixty seasons
of racing, creating a void in horse racing in the state. It had been the
foremost thoroughbred race track in Washington for countless years.
Recognizing the void as an opportunity and seizing the prospect, Emerald
Downs opened on 20 June 1996.
In the beginning, the numbers of thoroughbreds in the state had dwindled
so dramatically, that there were insufficient horses to load up the
twelve post positions the starting gate. While the state lay dormant to
thoroughbred racing for four years, most of the owners and trainers had
relocated to California.
Due to a variety of injuries sustained by the horses that was caused by
the old track, nearly $1 million was spent on surface upgrades, and on
25 April 1998, Emerald Downs was greeted with what is understood to have
been the biggest crowd it has welcomed since its opening day in 1996.
The main meet at Emerald Downs is a Grade III event known as the
Longacres Mile Handicap. The founder of Longacres, Joe Gottstein,
considered the mile a disregarded stretch, as it wasn't a sprint or a
run of stamina. In order to have a dedicated one mile race, he declared
the event in June 1935, announcing the purse at $10,000, in order to
catch the attention of the racers. It instantaneously became the biggest
wagered one mile race in the country, extending over the next 40 years.
Now recognized as the leading thoroughbred racing venue in the Pacific
Northwest, Emerald Downs has hosted meets such as the Longacres Mile,
Mt. Rainier Breeders' Cup, Washington Breeders' Cup Oaks, Emerald
Breeders Cup Derby and the Gottstein Futurity. |
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Emerald Downs Contact Info |
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Phone: +253 288-7000
Website: www.emeralddowns.com
Physical Address: 2300 Emerald Downs Drive
Auburn, Washington
98001
Postal Address: PO Box 617
Auburn, Washington
98071 |
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