Billie Klokstad's Special Holiday, even after rider Russell Baze dropped his whip at the furlong pole, drew away to take the $50,000 Pink Ribbon Stakes run at Stockton on June 18, by 2 1/2 lengths. Final time for the six-panel race run over a fast track was 1:11.63.

  It was the third win among five starts for the Washington-bred sophomore filly who was bred by Billie and her husband, and winning trainer, Bud Klokstad. The daughter of El Dorado Farms LLC's Private Gold is out of the unraced Slewdledo mare Special Return, whose dam, Return Call (by Phone Order), was named 1996 Washington champion two-year-old filly for the Klokstads. Special Holiday has now earned $73,860.

  Through June 17, Gibson Thoroughbred Farm's Parker's Storm Cat continued to lead the 2011Washington sire ranks with $652,709 in earnings among his 48 starters which includes 20 winners and a trio of stakes horses. The total does not include the $40,000 earned by his son Ben's Cat after he finished second in the PARX Dash Handicap on June 18.

  Four-time leading state sire Matty G, who stands at El Dorado Farms LLC, ranks second with  24 winners, from 68 starters, bringing in $360,958.

  St. Hilaire Thoroughbreds' Polish Miner holds the third spot with $312,118 earned by 34 starters, which includes 11 winners.

 The late Tribunal ranks fourth with 18 winners and $259,041. He is followed by Woodstead Farm stallion He's Tops, who has 14 winners and $227,375 to round out the top five stallions.

  Both El Dorado's Private Gold and retired You and I are also over the $200,000 mark.

  1997 WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale graduate, 1998 Washington champion two-year-old filly and multiple stakes producer Western Woman (by West by West) produced a filly by Zensational on April 11 and was bred back to 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver.

  2000 WTBA September sale graduate and graded stakes winner Collect Call (by Meadowlake), the dam of Grade 2 $583,280 stakes winner Old Fashioned, foaled a full sister to that stakes winner, both being sired by Unbridled's Song, on April 26 for Rod and Lorraine Rodriguez, and was bred back to Medaglia d'Oro.

NEW IN 2011!

The WTBOA Sales Incentive Program, now offering ...

• A $1,000 bonus to every WTBOA-sold 2YO to break its maiden in a maiden special weight or stakes race at Emerald Downs
   
• A $20,000 allowance race in the fall for WTBOA-sold 2YOs racing at Emerald Downs

  The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (WTBOA) will participate in the NTRA Legislative Action Campaign's ¼% checkoff program, which supports the NTRA's federal lobbying and government relations efforts. Each year, the WTBOA hosts its Summer Yearling & Mixed Sale, which this year will take place on September 6 in Auburn, WA.

  At the September 6 sale, buyers and consignors of each horse at the WTBOA's Summer Yearling & Mixed Sale may elect to have .25% of the purchase/sales price donated to the Legislative Action Campaign. The WTBOA joins Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton Co., Inc., Barretts and Ocala Breeders' Sales Company as Thoroughbred sales companies that participate in the Campaign's fundraising efforts.

  "Everyone here at the WTBOA is proud to support the NTRA's legislative

efforts," said Dana Halvorson, President of the WTBOA. "We want to make it

easy for our buyers and sellers to contribute to this important program if

they so choose."

  "We are extremely pleased to have the Washington Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association join the ranks of those that participate in our

Legislative Action Campaign's ¼% checkoff program," said Peggy Hendershot, the NTRA's Senior Vice President-Legislative Affairs. "Our lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., are nationwide in scope, and the WTBOA's support will better highlight this important work to our many constituents in the Northwest."

  The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of

leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA website, NTRA.com.

Wayne Nagai Photo

Washington Summers

  A field of 11 older fillies and mares gathered for the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Handicap, the feature on the June 12 Sunday race card. Included in the field were recent Southern California ship-ins Fife's Fantasy, who had been claimed for $32,000 in her most recent start; and Summers Peace, whose last recorded win came in May of 2009 when she took a mile turf race at Golden Gate Fields. Also in the field for the older distaff stakes were 2010 Washington champion Zenovit, in her first start back since winning the British Columbia Oaks last September; the unbeaten 2011 stakes winner You Me and Ema B, and race favorite Cliff's Secret, who was coming into the race after two consecutive Emerald wins.

  The favorite broke first, but her stablemate Sis's Sis and Summers Peace were right there with her. As the trio approached the half-mile marker, Summers Peace, with David Lopez in the saddle, raced slightly ahead of the bunch, before drawing off with authority in the stretch and defeating Ron Crockett Inc.'s Rewritten (El Corredor-Pleas Write) by 3 1/4 lengths. Dr. Rodney Orr's Dream Sweeper (Salt Lake-Turbo Dream) finished another length back in third place. Cliff's Secret faded to fifth. Summers Peace finalized the race in 1:16.29 over a fast track.

  "She was really relaxed and going easy," noted the Northern California-based Lopez in his first Emerald win. "I'm just lucky I got to ride this mare."

  Trained by Larry Ross and owned by Victoria Linden's Linden Trust, Summers Peace is a five-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of out of Interval, by Forty Niner. Trained by Charles Jenda in California, the first-time stakes winner has a record of 4-5-4 from 20 starts and has earned $153,374.

Wayne Nagai Photo

Beach Boy

  A state champion in all of his first three seasons racing, Jeff and Doris Harwood's exemplary Noosa Beach continues to provide a lifetime of thrills for his connections on June 19. The now five-year-old gelding further added to his noteworthy exploits by scoring a impressive 3 1/2-length win in the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap and put his name in the record books as only the second - behind the legendary Handy N Bold - horse in Emerald's history to win a ten stakes over the Auburn oval.

  Carrying an Emerald record 125 pounds, including regular partner Gallyn Mitchell, Noosa Beach, the three-to-five race favorite, broke a step slow. By the six-furlong marker, the 2010 Longacres Mile (G3) winner held a narrow lead, although he was being pressed strongly by his paternal half-brother Tequila Gold and 2010 Emerald Derby winner Saratoga Boot. As the threesome entered the stretch, Noosa Beach opened up and drew clear to take the mile stakes in 1:38.09 over a wet-fast track. The Washington-bred son of Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, by Basket Weave, has now won 13 of his 19 lifetime starts, with 12 wins and $394,055 of his $435,222 total being earned at Emerald Downs.

  "He's amazing, he really can do it all," said winning trainer and co-breeder Doris Harwood.

  Fleur de Lis Stables' Winning Machine (Toccet-Dance With Carson), the 2009 Emerald Derby winner, outfinished Gary Hughes' Saratoga Boot (Storm Boot-Saratoga Sparkle) by a head to take second in the eight-horse field.

  The Harwoods are seriously considering pointing Noosa Beach to the 2011 $1-million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) to be held at Churchill Downs on November 5.

  Earlier in the day's card Mitchell had been aboard the amazing West Seattle Boy, now 12, when he scored his record 19th win at Emerald Downs. The Washington-bred son of Majesterian-Pancho's Girl - a daughter of Washington Racing Hall of Fame inductee Belle of Rainier - has accumulated a lifetime record of 23-13-18 from 98 starts and has earned $170,080. The consistent gelding races for Lisa Baze and Jerry Carmody, is trained by Rigoberto Velasquez and was bred by the late Al Benton.

  Sunday was a noteworthy day for Mitchell - Emerald Downs' all-time leading rider (with 1,281 wins) - as he was aboard both Noosa Beach and West Seattle Boy for their historic record wins.

  The June 24, West Coast edition of the Daily Racing Form featured an article and photo of  West Seattle Boy titled "12 years old and still going strong" written by DRF executive columnist Jay Hovdey in his Opinions column. Also featured in the Friday Form was an article and  photo of Washington champion Atta Boy Roy, as that runner tries to win the Iowa Sprint Handicap for the second year in a row at Prairie Meadows.

Gemstones

  Trainer Blaine Wright announced the retirement of Skyrider. The stakes-placed ten-year-old Washington-bred son of Flying With Eagles-Sarna, by Son of Briartic, who was bred by Jill and David Heerensperger - who raced both his parents - retires with a record of 14-2-8 from 53 starts and earnings of $162,820. Thirteen of those wins and $145,654 of his money total was earned competing at Emerald Downs. Stakes-placed Skyrider finished his race career running fifth on June 5 for Steven Menne and Sue Ann Ligget.

  The Washington Horse Racing Commission approved a 50 cent pick 5 wager for Emerald Downs races at its June meeting. The new exotic wager will be on the final five daily races and includes a carryover provision. The wager went into effect on June 17.

  Four-time Emerald stakes winner No Flies On Doodle, who hails from trainer Vann Belvoir's barn and is a homebred for Keith and Jan Swagerty, got back into the winner's circle after an eight-race absence when she scored a gate-to-wire victory at the Auburn track on June 10. The Washington-bred daughter of Storm Blast has won eight of her 19 starts earned $182,058.

  Jethorse LLC's two-year-old filly Youandtheprize became the first juvenile distaff winner of the meet when the Washington-bred daughter of You and I-Misty Knight, by Tough Knight, won a maiden special weight race on June 11. Bred by Dunn Bar Ranch LLC, the new winner is trained by Tim McCanna.

  Howard Belvoir's 2008 Washington horse of the year Wasserman finished second to 2010 Oregon horse of the year Seven Torrents in a mile race on June 12, upping his record Emerald earnings mark to $520,427.

  The Mary Pirone-trained Untilifindyou became the 2011 meet's first four-time winner after the four-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Souvenir Copy, who races for Blue Mountain Stables, scored in gate-to-wire fashion in the fourth race on June 18. Pirone had claimed Untilifindyou on May 15 after the runner had won three consecutive races for Shawn and Todd Hansen.

  The June 21 edition of the Thoroughbred Times Today featured Vann Belvoir in their "Quote of the Day" after the trainer won his first ever Hollywood Park race n June 19. According to Belvoir, "We were bouncing around the office. We thought we'd won the Kentucky Derby (G1)!" after Macho Dorado, a four-year-old California-bred son of Macho Uno, won an allowance/$25,000 optional claiming race for Belvoir and partners Terry Morris and Gloria Ballastrasse.

Stats

 Through June 19, Leslie Mawing continues to lead all riders with 42 wins and $363,607 in earnings. Joe Crispin follows him with 39 winners. Juan Gutierrez ranks third with 36 victories, one more than Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo. Gallyn Mitchell rounds out the top five with 29 trips to the winner's circle.

  The father-son duo of Howard and Vann Belvoir sit at the top of the trainer standings, with Howard outpacing his son 22-to-19. The elder Belvoir also leads in the earnings category with $178,303, $4,301 more than Doris Harwood. Tim McCanna ranks third in wins with 17, followed by Frank Lucarelli's 14 victories. Harwood, Chris Stenslie and Tom Wenzel are tied in fifth place with a dozen tallies each.

Through June 19 (31 days of racing)

Number of horses entered: 2,088

Number of Washington-breds entered: 1,137 (54%)

Total number of races: 283

Number of Washington-bred winners: 151 (53%)

Number of Washington-bred races: 16

Number of Quarter Horse races: 10