Emerald Downs is ready for Breeders’ Cup simulcasting, this Friday and Saturday, November 3-4. Gates open on Friday at 8:30 am, Saturday at 8:00 am. The 5th floor is first come-first served as far as seating, so get here early. Watch and wager on the 40th running of the Breeders’ Cup, a truly world-wide competition consisting of 14 races over the two days. It’s free admission at Emerald Downs and there’s food specials both days at Quick Pix on floor 5 and on Saturday at Classics, floor 3. Joe and Vince are joined by “Horseracing NW” regular, EmD Track Announcer Bill Downes, and also Jon White and Anthony “Big A” Stabile. All offer angles, opinions and selections on the 14 races of full fields and live longshots. It’s all Breeders’ Cup talk on this edition.

The 40th Breeders’ Cup is just around the corner, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita. Seating on the Fifth Floor at Emerald Downs, each day, is first come-first served. Do the Cup in style this year. The 6th Floor Suites are available for a minimum $1,000, including amenities. Get your group together and call Emerald Downs Group Sales at 253-288-7700. Matt Dinerman’s first job as Track Announcer was at Emerald Downs, replacing Robert Geller in 2015. His aptitude was apparent from the beginning and in December, he’ll be leaving Golden Gate Fields to become the race caller at Oaklawn Park. He joins Joe and Vince on this week’s ‘cast as does Auburn native Mark Glatt. Glatt has become a highly prominent southern California-based trainer and has multiple horses headed toward the upcoming Breeders’ Cup.

Emerald Downs concluded the 2023 season on a high note last Sunday, September 17, and Joe and Vince recap the action that decided several season-ending honors including Slew’s Tiz Whiz earning his second consecutive Horse of the Meeting title. Thanks to all who made the year memorable – the fans and handicappers, the horsemen and their grooms, EmD staff and officials and, of course the horses! Trainer Tom Wenzel joins Joe and Vince and speaks to his great season that ended on a very high note. Closing day, Slew’s Tiz Whiz took the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and Miner League won the Gottstein Futurity. Wenzel tied a record in earning his third consecutive Gottstein, all for owner George Todaro. Bill McMeans won three straight Gottsteins at Longacres, 1970-72. Wenzel had seven stakes wins to lead all trainers. EmD open seven days a week for full card simulcasting.

It’s Closing weekend at Emerald Downs this Saturday and Sunday, September 16-17. The season that began on May 6 concludes early Sunday evening after an 11-race card that will decide many honorees among horse and human participants. Categories in the balance are Horse of the Meeting, Older Filly/Mare, both Juvenile sex divisions and Top Washington-bred. The three stakes on Sunday – Washington Cup Filly and Mare, Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and Gottstein Futurity will decide many honors. Joining Joe, Vince and Bill are top handicapper John Lindley and jockey agent David “Marbles” Singer. Lindley, the handicapper of “Parker’s” tip sheet and the author of emeralddowns.com’s “Trip Notes,” has had another successful year. His knowledge, experience, recall and attention to detail has led him to success year-in, year-out from Longacres days forward. Singer made book for the leading rider again this year, Alex Cruz. It’s the ninth consecutive season he’s done that at EmD. He also agented for runner-up Luis Negron and fourth in the standings Kevin Radke.

Fan Appreciation Day this Sunday! Free admission for all on Sunday Sept. 10 at Emerald Downs. Add to that, numerous food and beverage specials at concession stands and bars. Racing Saturday, too, starting at 5 pm. That’s also the schedule for closing week, Sept. 16-17 – 5 pm Saturday and 2 pm Sunday. Trainer Blaine Wright and Turf Writer Paul Beattie join Joe, Vince and Bill this week on the podcast. Wright has several promising juveniles and, of course, top three-year-olds in Clovisconnection (two stakes wins) and Prince Abu Dhabi (Muckleshoot Derby winner). Wright has much to look forward to toward the end of this season and in 2024. One can follow Beattie’s comprehensive coverage of EmD at elisportsnetwork.com.

September has arrived and the EmD schedule is Saturday-Sunday for the final three weekends of live racing. This Sunday, Sept. 3, is “Italian Day” with the usual Italian music, dancing, food/beverage and the popular Sorelli Pizza Eating Contest. Sorelli’s owner/operator Kelly Dougan joins Joe, Vince and Bill – talking pizza and horse racing. Prominent breeder/owner Keith Swagerty joins the crew to speak about an exciting future home for Emerald Downs all-time top winning horse, the Swagerty-bred Mike Man’s Gold. The 26-time winner will head to Kentucky later this month and his permanent home. Jockey Alex Cruz is on track to become the first rider to win four consecutive titles at a major Washington track that includes Longacres, Playfair and Yakima Meadows. Plenty of other stats, too, and the usual sports shorts, selection and trivia.

More great racing and entertainment this weekend at Emerald Downs! It’s our final Fab Friday, August 25, with its food/beverage specials and horseshoe toss sponsored by the Seattle T-Birds and KJR radio. Sunday offers two Washington Cup stakes races – one for juvenile colts/geldings, the other for two-year-old fillies. And, Sunday is Wiener Dog Day at the races – the doggies that started it all! Joe, Vince and Bill’s guests are Longacres Mile winning trainer Grant Forster and three-time EmD jockey champ Rocco Bowen. Forster is back at his Midwest base and Bowen will be here Sunday, riding two top chances in the Washington Cup stakes. “Sport Shorts,” selections and an easier trivia question, too, on “Horseracing NW.”

A memorable “Mile Day” is followed this weekend with three days of racing, including the meet’s two Quarter Horse stakes races. Plus, Sunday is “T-Rex Day” at the track. EmD is on a historical mission to find the top T-Rex runner going back tens of thousands of years! There’s going to be several heats, a championship dash and a T-Rex kids race too. All T-Rex’s get in free on Sunday. WTBOA President Dana Halvorson joins Joe, Vince and Bill for this week’s ‘cast. Halvorson and WTBOA staff put on the annual Summer Yearling Sale, next Tuesday, August 22 at 1 pm. Many highlights in this year’s sale including the first yearlings sired by 2018 Longacres Mile champion Barkley, a half-brother to Slew’s Tiz Whiz and a full brother to last month’s Sanford Stakes winner at Saratoga.

The race of the year is Sunday at Emerald Downs, the $150,000 Longacres Mile! Defending champion Slew’s Tiz Whiz is the morning-line favorite at 9/5 over Five Star General at 2-1. Friday night racing at 7 pm while Saturday begins just after 5 pm with the 2023 Washington Hall of Fame ceremony preceding racing. “Groove Nation” performs on the fifth floor after racing on Saturday. The traditional “Railbird Rally” starts at 11:30 am on Mile day morning with racing at 2 pm. See you at Emerald Downs! Sunday is “Championship Sunday” at Emerald Downs, presented by the National Thoroughbred League. There’s an all-stakes Pick-4 wager, concluding with the 88th Longacres Mile. Mile historian and handicapper Jon White joins Joe, Vince and Bill as does Bill Rapaport to speak to the up-and-coming National Thoroughbred League.

August has arrived and Emerald Downs is just over a week away from the 88th Longacres Mile! It’s Championship Sunday on August 13 with $150,000 Mile and three other $50,000 stakes – Emerald Distaff, Muckleshoot Derby and Washington Oaks. This Sunday, the track’s top juveniles are in action in the $50,000 WTBOA Lads and Lassies, for colt and fillies respectively. This weekend, enjoy a trip back in time. Sunday is “Turn Back the Clock” day, with a theme of 1970s Longacres in effect. Admission is just $3.00 with 70s music, racing videos, pictures and interviews remembering that era. Longacres all-time top jockey Gary Baze will be present and he, as well as Dean Mazzuca, joined Joe, Vince and Bill on the podcast.