On December1, 2011 WTBOA sale topper Gratian scored a half-length win in a Golden Gate Fields maiden special weight race his first outing. The son of Candy Ride (Arg)-Sudden Departure was bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst and races for Theresa and Edward DeNike. Russell Baze was aboard the Keith Nations trainee for the win. Washington-owned and -trained runners also finished in the second (Heidi Nelson's Disruption, trained by Blaine Wright) and third (Roz Barclay's North Pacific, trained by Len Kasmerski) spots.

   R.E.V. Racing's 2009 WTBOA summer ale graduate Touch the Sun went gate-to-wire to win a mile allowance by 8 1/2 lengths at Turf Paradise on December 4. The gelded Washington-bred son of Bertrando-Sweethrtofsigmachi, who is trained by Frank Lucarelli and was bred by Dr. Duane and Susan Hopp, has won six races and earned $50,020.

   2011 WTBOA-sold Beau Diablo, a Washington-bred son of Bedford Falls-Asuraslew, bred by Jill Heerensperger and raced by trainer Vann Belvoir and Pay Dirt Racing, scored his second victory at Golden Gate Fields on December 8 at Golden Gate and was claimed for $12,500 by trainer John F. Martin. 

   Dr. George Todaro and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's three-year-old Lady of Fifty earned her first graded stakes win in the $200,000 Bayakoa Handicap (G2) at Betfair Hollywood Park on December 8. The multiple stakes-winning Kentucky-bred daughter of After Market-K. D.'s Shady Lady has won six of her 11 starts and earned $320,000.

   Michael and Amy Feuerborn's Class Included finished seventh in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.

   It turned out to be a great racing day for Todaro and Hollendorfer as their Zeewat took the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes run the same day at Golden Gate Fields. The two-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Harlan's Holiday-Delizia won the mile race by 3 1/4 lengths. Ridden by Russell Baze, Zeewat has won three of his five starts and earned $117,700.

   Also running well at Hollywood Park on the Saturday card was Mark Dedomenico LLC and Michael Pegram's 2012 Pegasus juvenile sale graduate Blonde Fog, who finished second to Pure Fun in the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1).

   Karl Kreig's homebred Absolutely Cool earned his sixth stakes placement and first stakes win when the five-year-old Washington-bred gelding scored a nose victory in the $35,000 Caballos Del Sol Stakes at Turf Paradise on December 8. One of a trio of stakes runners out of the Basket Weave mare Coup de Foudre, the half-brother to 2012 Emerald Downs champion three-year-old Makors Finale has earned $97,346. Gallyn Mitchell was aboard the winner who is trained by Valorie Lund, who also conditions fourth place finisher Atta Boy Roy.

   Mitchell and Lund were also responsible for Kreig homebred King of the Sky's victory in an allowance on the following day at the Arizona track. The four-year-old Washington-bred son of Flying With Eagles-Omnia Vincit Amor took his third win by 2 3/4 lengths.

   Top Pacific Northwest rider Debbie Hoonan scored a milestone on December 2 when she rode seven winners on the 12-race card to tie fellow riders Joe Crispin and Felipe Valdez's record. Her first win of the day came with Quarter Horse Sneakin Bye in the Baxter Andrus Futurity and was quickly followed by tallies in the fourth (Lean Gozzene), fifth (Wild WBT) and sixth (Chicks Dig Him) races. She added three more in a row after booting home Tullamore Dew (tenth), My Ginny N Tonic (11th) and Freedomslastknight (12th).

   "I want to thank Marbles (David Singer) my agent for doing such a great job," said Hoonan. "He got me on some great horses and they were all ready to go."

   The 60-day meet at Portland Meadows ended on December 9 with the $20,000 Portland Meadows Route Claiming Series Stakes. Bob Seapy's Overtime Victory proved an easy winner of the ten-furlong race. Ridden by Javier Matias and trained by Steve Fisher, the six-year-old gelding by Victory Gallop scored an 8 1/2-length victory over Eakin, Nance, Cosgrove and Cosgrove's Strikingly Sinful, who finished 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Glory B Stables LLC's Castle Pine in the field of 11.

   J. Luis Torres led the jockeys' colony with 86 wins and $373,267 in earnings. Anne Sanguinetti followed with 65 wins and $263,527. Rounding out the top five were Marijo Terleski (59 wins, $251,412), Deborah Hoonan (52 wins, $213,315) and Mark Anderson (36 wins, $160,856).

   Trainer Jonathan Nance outpaced the tied Jim Fergason and Nick Lowe 48 to 31 and also led all conditioners with $181,157 in earnings. Felimon Alvardo (18) and Rigoberto Velasquez (17) ranked nest in wins.

   Owners David and Patricia Runyon and Charles Holshouser tied with ten wins apiece, but the Runyons led Holshouser in earnings, $42,078 to $39,616.

   2011 Washington most improved plater of the year Chuluki Sunrise, adaughter of Russellthemussell-Kalowna Sunrise who was bred by Seawind Stables LLC, was back in the winner's circle on December 2 after she defeated fellow Washington-bred Special Holiday, by Private Gold, in a $35,000-$40,000 claiming sprint at Golden Gate. It marked the 11th lifetime win for Chukchi Sunrise who has earned $174,174.

   Northwest Farms LLC-bred Super Ninety Nine, a two-year-of son of Pulpit-Exogenetic, finished second in $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) on November 22.

   Quadrun Farms LLC's homebred Risky Road, a two-year-old Washington-bred son of Cahill Road-Whatdidshesay, won a $32,000 maiden claiming race at Golden Gate on November 30. He is trained by Tim McCanna.

   Nefertini, the four-year-old daughter of Empire Maker who won the $200,000 Go for Wand Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct on November 23, is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to St. Hilaire Thoroughbred's Grade 3 stakes-placed stallion Polish Miner and late Washington sire Polish Gift.

   Chris and Nancy Webber's stakes producer Graduation Time, 27,"was put to rest after many years of great green pastures, lots of carrots and feed and better yet, many great stable mates" on November 29. A nine-race winning half-sister to Washington champion Chalk Box and stakes winner Pencil Box, the daughter of Mehmet produced eight winners, led by $406,350 stakes winner Legendary Weave.

   In recent weeks Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens has been seen breezing horses at Pegasus Training and Equine Rehabilitation Center.

   David Hamilton and Kasey Schenk's Migiwewin went gate-to-win to take an about seven-furlong allowance at Turf Paradise on December 10. Trained by Kathy Schenk and ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, the Washington-bred three-year-old gelding by Flying With Eagles-Manoomin now sports a record of 2-2-0 from five starts.

   Cindy Hoover's Isle Challenge went gate-to-wire to take a five-furlong Portland Meadows maiden special weight race on December 8 by five lengths. Bred in Washington by William Fawthrop, the three-year-old filly by Katowice-Brave Sequence was ridden by Marijo Terleski and is trained by her owner.

   Paul A. Hagermann's homebred two-time Portland Mile Handicap winner Deacon Speakin', a six-year-old Washington-bred son of former Oregon stallion Timber Legend out of Hail the Minister, added a win over Hollywood Park's turf course in a mile $32,000 claiming race on December 9 and has now earned $208,954.

   Officer Alex, the two-year-old son of Officer who won the $76,500 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at Parx Racing on December 8, is out of $193,505 earner Ms. C D Player, a Washington-bred daughter of Boca Rio bred by Leonard Durham. Officer Alex, who has earned $72,222, is a full brother to $189,652 stakes winner Officer Ipod.

   Northwest Farms LLC-bred and -raced Jerre Jo Glanville, the daughter of Washington champion and Racing Hall of Famer Firesweeper (see profile in December 2012 issue) who finished second in the 1992 Mercer Girls Stakes, is the dam of two-year-old maiden winner Staffhoss, a British-bred son of Lucky Story who won a seven-furlong maiden race at Lingfield in Britain on December 8. Staffhoss is a half-brother to stakes winner Parkview Love.

   The December 1, 2012, edition of The Blood-Horse featured an article on Tacoma native and prominent racing executive Corey Johnson titled "Rising Up at the Downs."

   It was announced in early December that Emerald Downs Director of Marketing Sophia Mangalee was elected to serve a two-year term (2013-14) as one of four vice presidents of the Turf Publicists of America.

Virginia Hansen Bonner

   Virginia Bonner, 81, passed away peacefully in Federal Way on November 6, 2012, from complications resulting from Parkinson's disease and a hip fracture she suffered in November 2011.

   Born in Ellensburg in 1931, Virginia was the second of four children of Florence (Rasmussen) and Carl Hansen. She spent her early childhood living on her grandparents' family farm. In 1942 the Hansens moved to Des Moines, Washington, where Virginia attended school in the Highline School District and graduated from Highline High School in 1949. In 1951 she married her high school sweetheart Don Bonner while he was stationed in the U S Air Force in Denver.

   Virginia and Don got into racing in the 1970s at Longacres and had a small claiming stable. Their runners were trained by Clint and Tom Roberts and their winners included Check for Two, Floating Bridge and Mystic Mike. Their primary stable name was Five to Win Stables and they had about 30 wins.

   Virginia was also active in the WHBA Women's Auxiliary and its annual fashion show and was later involved with the Equine Art show.

   Virginia enjoyed numerous other hobbies and crafts, including sewing, knitting, embroidery, quilting and doll house miniatures. She also golfed and skied, enjoyed world travel and was a prolific and avid reader.

   Virginia is preceded in death by her parents and older brother, Mel. She is survived by her husband, Don; daughters, Karen Bonner and Tracey Bailey; grandchildren, Lindsey, Derek, Rebecca, Katie and Christopher; great-grandchild, Landon; brother, Carl Hansen; and sister, Cheri Carlson.