Emerald Downs Picks, Entries and Results
Emerald Downs Track Details
Address: 2300 Ron Crockett Dr, Auburn, WA 98001
Website: www.emeralddowns.com
Meeting: Emerald Downs conducts racing from mid-April to mid-September, and has hosted 67 days of live horse racing each of the past two years on a Friday to Sunday schedule for the majority of the season. The centerpiece of the meet is the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile for older horses. The race is billed as the Northwest’s premier dirt race and is currently in its 67th year having previously been run at Longacres Racetrack. The dirt-only meet offers many other listed stakes worth $50,000, as well as a $100,000 stake for 2-year-olds on closing day, the Gottstein Futurity.
History: Set in the shadow of Mount Rainier in Auburn, Washington, Emerald Downs opened in 1996 and was intended to replace Longacres Racetrack, which had closed four years prior after 60 seasons of racing. The track is named after Seattle, the Emerald City, which is just an hour’s drive north of Auburn. In 2002, the land the track is situated on was purchased by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for about $70 million. The track itself is a one-mile dirt oval, with no turf course.
Facilities: The Emerald Downs Grandstand is a modern racetrack facility designed by EwingCole. There is general admission seating on track level, including a grassy park area with free children's activities on weekends. Outside on the third floor are box and reserved seats in the grandstand, as well as box and reserved seats on the fifth floor indoor clubhouse. The track also features the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion, which was first opened to the public in 1997, and has a card room casino on the premises.