"I feel good about our future."

                                  Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett

   With attendance at Washington's premier track Emerald Downs up over 11 percent from 2010 and the meet's handle also on the positive side, horsemen and racing fans in Washington State are thinking positive thoughts.

  "I don't have my head in the sand. But I feel really good about what we are doing, and I don't have anything to say that's not positive," stated Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett in a recent article in the Seattle Times, "Emerald Downs Bucks National Racing Trends."

  WTBOA President Dana Halvorson is also more assured and feels the local Thoroughbred industry is primed for a possible rebound, as long as the economy remains relatively stable.

  And Emerald Downs is not the only Pacific Northwest track seeing a positive trend, as the Vancouver, British Columbia-based Hastings Racecourse is also experiencing upward attendance and handle figures as, just like at Emerald Downs, a younger crowd finds "...it's becoming cool to go to the track."

  With those good thoughts and figures in place, the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association will offer its 45th annual summer sale next Tuesday, September 6, at the Morris J. Alhadeff Sales Pavilion located on Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington.

  The sale will commence at 2:00 p.m. with the offering of over 120 yearlings. A brief sampling of those cataloged in the summer yearling portion of the venue include: A full brother (Hip 13) to 2010 Washington Horse of the Year Noosa Beach, a winner of over a half-million dollars; a half-brother (Hip 10) to Washington champions and graded stakes winners Atta Boy Roy and The Great Face; a half-sister (Hip 1) to 2010 Washington champion Slew the Man and $300,000 stakes winner Indian Weaver; a full brother (Hip 37) to three stakes winners, including Washington champions No Constraints and Sundance Circle; a full sister (Hip 61) to multiple stakes winners Carrabelle Harbor and Catalina Harbor; a half-sister (Hip 66) to $172,850 stakes and recent Longacres Mile (G3) third Posse Power; a filly (Hip 81) from one of the last crops of California super stallion In Excess (Ire), whose dam has already produced four stakes runners; a filly (Hip 92) by international sire More Than Ready out of a Washington champion; and a filly (Hip 101) by top sire El Corredor and out of a stakes-winning five-time stakes producer.

  The strong catalog also features offspring of top local sires such as Matty G, Parker's Storm Cat and Harbor the Gold, and additional nationally significant scions Benchmark, Birdstone, Candy Ride (Arg), Dehere, Macho Uno, Posse, Salt Lake, Thunder Gulch, Tribal Rule and Wando.

  Following the summer yearling session is the mixed sale session of yearlings, broodmares and horses of racing age, which will also include the 15-horse paddock session dispersal from York Equine II LLC.

  Daughters of Artax, Awesome Again, Bertrando, Honour and Glory, Mr. Greeley, Officer, Pancho Villa, Sky Classic, Sky Mesa and Swiss Yodeler will be up for bid. Mares bred to 2011 leading Washington and Oregon sires Parker's Storm Cat and Harbor the Gold, and the promising young stallion Cause to Believe will also be looking for new homes.

  For more information, call or contact WTBOA offices at (253) 288-7890 or maindesk@washingtonthoroughbred.com. Catalog pages, including those for the paddock session, are available for viewing and download at www.washingtonthoroughbred.com.