Kenny had purchased the stakes-winning filly for $4,500 from the Blue Ribbon Farm consignment at the 2011 WTBOA Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale. Bred and raised by Rick and Debbie Pabst at their Buckley-based Blue Ribbon, Finding More is out of the Green Dancer mare Greenmountain Girl, who is also the dam of stakes-placed Jablunkov Pass and a yearling filly by Nationhood which the Pabst's have consigned to the 2013 WTBOA sale.

   A trio of two-year-old who went through the 2012 WTBOA sales ring took their initial wins in mid-June, two in their first trips to the gate.

   The winner's circle celebrations began on June 14 when Hanrahan won his second start, a $20,000 maiden claiming race at Hastings Racecourse in gate-to-wire fashion, coming home 3 1/4 lengths on top in :39.62. Owned by Curtis and Darrell Landry, the Washington-foaled son of Lucky Acres' Matty G-La Mariah, by Country Light, was bred and consigned by Tom and Becky Birklid, who have the new winner's half-brother by Nationhood consigned to this year's sale venue.

   On June 16, WTBOA sale juveniles Kendini and See My Tail Lites made their successful bows. Kentucky-bred Kendini, a son of Dunkirk from the El Dorado Farms LLC's consignment, went gate-to-wire to score a three-quarter length win in a 4 1/2-furlong $25,000 claimer and was haltered by trainer Charles Essex for Helen L. Mahre.

   Later that same afternoon, Blue Ribbon #9's See My Tail Lites also scored a three-quarter length win, but in a maiden special weight race. The Matty G-Lite Nite, by Conquistador Cielo, who was bred and consigned by Blue Ribbon Farm, earned a $1,000 WTBOA Sales Incentive Program bonus of $1,000 for her winning effort. Blue Ribbon Farm-bred and fellow sale graduate and first-time starter Sunpenny (Good Reward-Cascade Corona) finished second in the 4 1/2-furlong test for Z Thoroughbred Racing Partners #3.

   The previous week at Northlands Park, 2012 WTBOA sales graduate Corky's Luck, a Washington-bred son of Kentucky Lucky-Jazzabet, by Jazzing Around, bred by Steve and Sally Meredith, "closed well" to finish second in his first outing, a 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race.

   Two-year-old Skydreamin took Golden Gate Fields' $50,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes on June 15 in his first outing, gamely winning the five-furlong stakes by a head. Bred in Kentucky by Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms LLC, the son of Sky Mesa is out of unraced Unfinished Dream, a daughter of Silver Deputy who is a half-sister to four stakes winners, including 1997 champion two-year-old filly Countess Diana.

   It's been a good year for Paxton, as the Washington Racing Hall of Famer is also the breeder of Southwest Stakes (G3) winner Super Ninety Nine and Emerald Downs stakes winners Exclusive Diva, Stopshoppindebbie and Finallygotabentley, the latter three also race in his silks.

   Earlier in June, Northwest Farms LLC-bred No It Aint won the $40,000 Arapahoe Park Sprint Stakes. The five-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Yes It's True out of 2001 Angie C. Stakes winner Strong Credentials and has now won five races and earned $105,02.

Portland Meadows to Offer 14 Thoroughbred Stakes for 2013-14 Season

   Portland Meadows will open their 2013-14 season on July 21 for a 49-day run. For the first three weeks only Sunday racing (July 21, July 29 and August 4) will be held. Beginning on August 14 and through their closing card on January 26, 2014, racing will expand to every Sunday and Wednesday, with minor exceptions over the holidays.

   Due to the reduction of live race dates and the financial contribution from the Oregon HBPA, the bottom purse level has been raised from $3,000 ($1,600 claiming level) to $5,000 ($2,000 claiming level).

   Fourteen stakes for Thoroughbreds will be offered beginning with the $15,000 Oregon HBPA Sprint Stakes on August 14 and ending with the $25,000 Oregon Derby on January 19. The $35,000 Portland Mile will be contested on September 2. The three popular claiming series will also return, each run in three legs: City of Roses Sprint (fillies and mares); McFadden Memorial Sprint; and Oregon HBPA Route. The meet will also feature nine stakes for Quarter Horse runners, including the $17,000 Baxter Andruss Futurity final on November 17.

Emerald Notes

State Diva

   In a reversal of the Hastings Handicap, Jerre and Debbie Paxton's Exclusive Diva out finished rival E Z Kitty by 1 3/4 lengths to take the $60,000 

Exclusive Diva (Wayne Nagai)

Washington State Legislators Handicap on June 9 and take her fourth Emerald stakes triump9.

   Ridden by Juan Gutierrez for trainer Tom Wenzel, Exclusive Diva won the 6 1/2-furlong stakes in 1:44.88. The four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Bernardini-Puxa Saco, by Dehere, improved her record to 7-3-1 from 11 starts and earnings to $184,571.

   "She's a little filly, barely 15 hands, but she has a big heart," commented Wenzel.

   Hope Greame's British Columbia-bred Gosailgo (Finality-Sailpast) finished third, three-quarter of a length behind Highlander Racing Stable's 2012 Washington-bred champion E Z Kitty (He's Tops-Envision the Cat).

  "I've ridden this filly every time and every time she gives 100 percent," said Gutierrez. "She always tries hard at the quarter pole. I think she has a second gear over there."

Father's Day Toast

   A strong field of nine older horses were ready for the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap, the second tune-up for the upcoming August 18 Longacres Mile (G3), which is also contested at eight furlongs.  

   A packed crowd was on hand for the June 16 Father's Day card with Hoist picked as the bettors' choice off his victory in the Governor's Handicap. 2012 Emerald and Washington champion three-year-old Makors Finale, in his 2013 stakes debut after taking two straight allowance victories, was narrowly behind him in the betting.

Jebrica (Wayne Nagai)

   Makors Finale led for the first three calls before giving way in the drive to end up in fifth place, two lengths the better of Hoist's sixth place effort. Meanwhile, Jebrica, who had earned Emerald and Washington honors as the top sophomore of 2010 for Ron and Rosalie Warren's R & R Warren LLC, raced off the early pacesetters before making his move in the late stretch and then held off Jim and Mona Hour's Stryker Phd by three-quarters of a length to score his third stakes victory and seventh stakes placement.

   Fleur de Lis Stables ever-consistent Winning Machine, the 2006 gelding by Toccet who had won the 2012 Budweiser Handicap, finished a half-length behind Stryker Phd (Bertrando-Striking Scholar) in the race run in 1:34.72.

Isaias Enriquez was astride Jebrica for the victory to mark his first stakes win at the Auburn oval and it was 46th stakes triumph for Washington Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jim Penney.

   "It was a good trip," Enriquez said. "I asked my horse a little more at the 5/16th pole and he started getting closer and closer. By the 3/16ths pole, I knew the race was mine. It feels nice to get my first stakes win [at Emerald Downs]."

   A son of Liberty Gold out of 2011 Washington broodmare of the year Peaceful Wings, by Halo, Jebrica was bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst, who also bred the first two finishers (See My Tail Lites and Sunpenny) in the two-year-old maiden special weight race held earlier the same day.

   Both $256,905 earner Jebrica and Stryker Phd, who had also finished a strong second in the Governor's Handicap in his stakes debut, are products of the WTBOA sales program.

Gemstones

   Three-time stakes winner Carrabelle Harbor took the June 8 feature by 3 1/2 lengths to record her fifth win for her breeder Bar C Racing Stables Inc. and partner Desert Rose Racing LLC. The five-year-old Oregon-bred mare, who is trained by Doris Harwood, has earned $145,739.

   Nearly $25,000 was raised at the Gallyn Mitchell fundraiser held on June 15 at Emerald Downs, as the racing community gathered to help defray the mounting medical expenses for the track's all-time leading jockey, who had suffered a heart attack in April. Among the 143 items auctioned was the whip used by Gary Stevens to help guide Oxbow to the winner's circle in the 2013 Preakness Stakes (G1). Trainer Doris Harwood offered the top bid and then presented the whip to her husband Jeff Harwood as an early Father's Day gift.

   "We are just overwhelmed," said Mitchell, whose ultimate goal is to return to riding. "Shoot, I didn't know this many people loved me that much."

   Week seven Washington-bred of the week honors was given to three-year-old She'stopyodeling, a daughter of He's Tops-Lotta Yodeling, by Swiss Yodeler, bred by William and Wanda Nooney who took a $7,500 claiming race on June 8 by a length. She'stopyodeling, who also won an Emerald claimer by nearly five lengths on May 24, is among a trio of winners bred and owned by William Nooney, who is the president of Montana Simulcast Partners, and trained by his partner Robbie Baze. In addition, Jady Baby - a half-sister to She'stopyodeling - won on May 11 and Just Gonna Be returned to the winner's circle on June 8.

   On April 19, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine held their annual WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Student Scholarship Awards event where the college distributed over 350 scholarships worth over $500,000 to 313 deserving students.

   This year's Washington Thoroughbred Foundation/WTBOA $1,000 Scholarship, which is "awarded to a student who demonstrates academic merit, is a Washington resident, and has an active interest in horses" was given to Chelsea Farnsworth.

   In her thank you note Farnsworth writes:

   "Thank you so much for your support of my veterinary education through the WTF/WTBOA scholarship award. Your dedication to the training of future equine veterinarians is greatly appreciated.

   "I am currently entering my fourth year of school with my first clinical rotation being equine surgery. I am from Southwest Washington where I grew up loving horses. My first horse was an Appaloosa mare that I trained and competed on the local hunter/jumper circuit. She taught me more about striving for goals, commitment, partnership and perseverance than any schooling has. It is because of my connection with her and preserving that bond for others that I entered the veterinary profession.

   "My goal, after completing school, is to focus on equine medicine and surgery."

   Also noted were two 2013 scholarships awarded by former equine veterinarians and Thoroughbred breeders Dr. Gary and Marie Duskin, who offered a $4,300 scholarship for "a student interested in entering equine practice;" and Dr. and Mrs. Everett Macomber, who offered a $1,300 scholarship "to a student interested in organized veterinary medicine; and as support to attend the AVMA Leadership Conference.

   Billy J. Hipwell's homebred two-year-old Pheisty Kid took a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at Golden Gate on June 8. A California-bred son of Roi Charmant, Pheisty Kid was produced out of Hipwell's multiple stakes-winning Washington-bred mare Pheiffer, a 1998 daughter of Lyphaness.

   Joe and Lola Sample'shomebred Mah Gellin won an allowance/$50,000 optional claiming race at Golden Gate on June 7. The California-bred son of Skimming is out of the Samples' stakes-winning Mahrin, a Washington-bred daughter of Maheras.

   National and Washington Racing Hall of Fame rider Russell Baze finished the Golden Gate meeting on June 16 with 172 winners to earn his 45th riding title at the Albany track. Dennis Carr finished second in the standings with 105 winning rides. As of June 16, Baze, who has had 165 winners in 2013, has been aboard for 11,976 victories and his mounts have earned over $185-million.

   2012 Washington champion Absolutely Cool added his 10th stakes placement after the six-year-old son of Absolute Harmony-Coup de Foudre finished third in the $50,000 Dark Star Stakes run at Canterbury Park on June 6. The Karl Krieg homebred, who is trained by Valorie Lund, has earned $129,488.

   Point of Entry scored his fifth Grade 1 victory in the Woodward Reserve Manhattan Handicap run at Belmont Park on June 8. The five-year-old son of Dynaformer-Matlacha Pass, by Seeking the Gold, is from the immediate female family of Blue Ribbon Farm stallion Nationhood, whose first crop races this year. Unfortunately, Point of Entry, who has earned over $2.3-million, came out of the 10-furlong stakes with a condylar fracture in his left hind cannon bone. After surgery, trainer Shug McGaughey hopes to have the runner ready for the Breeders' Cup World Championships in November.

   Declaration of War, a four-year-old son of War Front added a victory in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes run at Royal Ascot on June 18. It was his sixth win in eight starts and increased the multiple stakes winner's earnings to �286,925. Declaration of War is a half-brother to Gibson Thoroughbred Farm's recent stallion addition War Power. The half-brothers' dam, Tempo West, is a half-sister to 2012 Belmont Stakes (G1) victor Union Rags.

   Stakes-placed Leolas Girl, a four-year-old Washington-bred daughter of Beefchopper-Nifty Leola, by Ihtimam, bred by Marie C. Monroe and owned and trained by Lyle Magnusonran second to fellow   Washington-bred Up Your Plan, a six-year-old daughter of Moon Up T.C.-Why Have a Plan, by Game Plan, bred by Larry O. Hillis, in a five-furlong allowance at Lethbridge on June 6 the Canadian track.. It was stakes-placed Up Your Plan's seventh win and upped her earnings to $39,913.

   2013 Washington Racing Hall of Fame trainer nominee Wesley Ward added yet another stakes win at Royal Ascot when he saddled two-year-old No Nay Never, by Scat Daddy, to win the �80,000 Norfolk Stakes-G2 (GB) on June 20. On the previous day's card at the exclusive English meet, Ward trained two-year-old filly Sweet Emma Rose, by City Zip, to finish second in the �100,000 Queen Mary Stakes-G2 (GB), to mark the second auspicious journey "across the pond" for the Selah native.

   Three-year-old first-time starter Twopenny went gate-to-wire to take a five-furlong maiden special weight race at British Columbia's Desert Park on June 15. The B.C.-bred is a son of two-time Washington champion Funboy.