The first Friday card of the meet (May 2) drew out the best in rider Leslie Mawing, as he was aboard five straight winners - all Washington-breds - from races three to seven, scoring  with Nancy Wake, Our Pretty Woman, He's a Cruiser, Spot On Babe and Making Fire.

   On Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day, Tim and Sue Spooner's homebred Country Rules, a four-year-old Washington-bred son of the recently deceased top California sire Tribal Rule, went gate-to-wire to win a 5 1/2-furlong allowance/$25,000 optional claiming race by 1 1/4 lengths. It marked the third win in eight starts for the Dan Markle trainee who was ridden to the win by Jose Zunino.

   Saratoga West, trainer Jeff Metz and rider Rocco Bowen teamed together with Vegas Burn to become the first three-time winner at the meet after taking the fifth race on May 3.

   2013 Washington and Emerald champion two-year-old colt Del Rio Harbor returned with a convincing 1 1/4-length score in the 5 1/2-furlong feature allowance race on May 4. The son of Harbor the Gold-Bahati, by Horse Chestnut (SAf), was making his first start since winning the Gottstein Futurity last September for his breeders/owners Bar C Racing Stables Inc. and Desert Rose Racing LLC. Trained by Doris Harwood and ridden by Isaias Enriquez, the full brother to champion Couldabenthewhisky added $12,416 to his $108,293 juvenile totals and improved his record to 5-1-0 from seven starts.

Stopshoppingdebbie Reed Palmer Photography

   Racing careers tend to ebb and flow, 

but that's not been the case so far forNorthwest Farm LLC's superior filly Stopshoppingdebbie. Since her debut on August 12, 2012 - when she scored a seven-length win in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race - Jerre Paxton's' homebred daughter of Curlin hasn't seen much to challenge her in each of her six starts.

   Unraced since August 13 of last year, the four-year-old star, ridden by regular partner Rocco Bowen, made her 2014 debut in the $50,000 Hastings Handicap run on May 11 against seven other hopefuls, including her stakes-winning stablemates Blueberry Smoothie and Goin to the Window. Also in the field were three Washington champion distaffers, Madame Pele, Finding More and Quizzical, stakes-placed She's Stella Marie and newcomer Ms. Sutherland, all trying to see if there was a possible early chink in Debbie's armor. But that would be far from the case, while after racing just off the early pace for the first half-mile, Stopshoppingdebbie drew away with "complete authority" to win the six-furlong stakes by four lengths. Her final time of 1:08.38 was just off the stakes record set by No Flies On Doodle in 2010.

  Kama'aina Thoroughbred's Madame Pele (Salt Lake-Striking Scholar) finished well to place second, with Northwest Farms LLC and C and M Racing's Blueberry Smoothie (Giant's Causeway-Shampoo) another 1 3/4 lengths back in third and Northwest Farms LLC and Debbie Paxton's 2012 Emerald champion two-year-old filly running fourth.

   "Well, today she showed us that she is the real deal," commented Bowen after the race. "I don't even think I got her into second gear."

   It marked the 28th Emerald Downs stakes win for conditioner Tom Wenzel, who led the 2013 stakes trainer  list and currently ranks one behind sixth place Frank Lucarelli among the Auburn oval's all-time stakes trainers.

   "It's unbelievable this horse," said Wenzel. "I thought it might have been a little more of a horse race today. I really did. If she doesn't go (so) wide, she probably runs 1:07 and change."

   The Kentucky-bred Stopshoppingdebbie, whose dam Taste the Passion (by Wild Again) was Emerald's champion juvenile distaffer in 1999, boosted her career earnings to $156,273.

   Through the first dozen days of the meet, trainer Jeff Metz's continues his dominance with 22 wins versus second place Frank Lucarelli's 13. Robbie Baze sits in third place with six victories. Among the Emerald riders, Bowen leads the tied Enriquez and Mawing 22-17.

  (see "WTBOA Sales Graduates in the News" below for more Emerald results) 

   On May 1, Emerald Downs Director of Racing Bret Anderson announced an adjustment to the live racing calendar for the Memorial Day weekend.

    Instead of a four-day race week, Emerald Downs will offer live racing Saturday, May 24, Sunday, May 25 and Monday, May 26. Live racing on Friday, May 23, has been canceled, although the facility will remain open for simulcast racing.
    According to Anderson, the move was made to preserve both the quality of racing and average field size, which through the first three weeks is nearly identical to last year's 6.67 average field size.

   Week four Washington-bred honors went to Donna Tollett's Ducoti, a seven-year-old daughter of He's Tops-Go Platinum, by Silver Buck, who went gate-to-wire to win a $7,500 claiming race on May 4.  A winner of 11 previous races, including nine at Emerald Downs, Ducoti was making her 2014 Emerald debut in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint with Leslie Mawing aboard. Bred by Stephen Quilici, Ducoti improved her five-year race record to 12-5-12 from 48 starts and has earned $63,629.

   Other week four honors went to owner Barbara Schmid, trainer Robbie Baze, rider Mawing and groom Marco Cruz, who works for Dan Markle.

   Trainer Tim McCanna and Robert Sodergren's Cantcatchme, who had run second to his paternal half-brother My Chief in his initial outing on April 19, went gate-to-wire to take a $25,000 maiden claiming race by a commanding 4 3/4 lengths on May 9 and was named best Washington-bred for week five. Bred by the Harris family's Clemans View Farm, the 2012 WTBOA sales graduate is a son of Harbor the Gold out of the stakes-producing River Special matron Kaaaching. Ridden to the win by Ronald Richard, Cantcatchme has earned $9,969 in his two outings.

   John and Janene Maryanski and Riverbend Stables' three-year-old filly Lotta Attitude, who is trained by Blaine Wright, won an allowance/$25,000 optional claiming race, with Juan Gutierrez in the saddle, on May 10 at Emerald Downs and improved her race record to 2-2-1 from five starts and earnings to $34,253. Lotta Attitude is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Sharp Humor-Kickin' the Clouds, by Dixieland Band. Running second and third to her were fellow Washington-bred WTBOA sale fillies, the stakes-placed Belladiva (Harbor the Gold-Umbrella Girl) - who is owned by Jeff Cissell and stakes-placed Sunpenny, a daughter of Good Reward-Cascade Corona raced by Z Thoroughbred Racing Partners III. Earlier on the same card three-year-old first-time starter Just a Love, a daughter of Blue Ribbon Farm's second crop sire Nationhood out of Just an Angel, by Demons Begone, went gate-to-wire to take a six-panel maiden special weight race for Just Lovin Life (Dan Lewis). Bred by Renee Larrabee and trained by Jim Penney, she was ridden to her three-quarter length win by Gutierrez. Just a Love, a half-sister to stakes winners Have'n a Wild Time and Kooky Saluki - who is also raced by Lewis - is one of seven Emerald Downs winners for her dam.

    Multiple graded stakes winner Upgrade improved his race record to 8-9-7 from 33 starts after the seven-year-old gelded son of Saint Liam won an allowance/$100,000 optional claiming race at Belmont Park on May 10. The $497,071 earner is out of $363,125 stakes winner Emily Ring (by Fit to Fight), whose unraced dam, Commercial Run, by Table Run, is a half-sister to Washington champion Commercial Choice (by Knights Choice). Both Commercial Run and Commercial Choice were bred by Foothills Farm and sold as yearlings through the WTBOA sales program.

   2012 RNA Flemings Beach, a three-year-old British Columbia-bred son of Cause to Believe-Flower Hill, by Bertrando, went gate-to-wire to take a 6 1/2-furlong $12,500 maiden claiming race at Hastings Racecourse on May 10 for his breeders Dr. Bryan and Carol Anderson.

   Stakes-placed Oil Country finished second in a three-furlong allowance test run at Lethbridge on May 10 in his first start of the year. The four-year-old son of Lucky Acres' Free At Last-Topaz 'n Jazz, by Son of Briartic, was bred in Washington by Debbie and Rick Pabst. The following day at Lethbridge WTBOA sale horses Keepanosecrets, a five-year-old California-bred gelding by Sea of Secrets-Choice Plan, by Game Plan, bred by Willow Creek Farm Inc., and Just Zoom Will Do, a five-year-old gelded son of Cahill Road-Kaaaching, by River Special, bred in Washington by Clemans View Farm, ran one-two in a five-furlong allowance. It marked the tenth win in 25 starts for Keepanosecrets, who has now earned $41,159.

   Two-time juvenile stakes winner Jose Sea View added his second stakes placement at three when the son of Badge of Silver ran third in the $100,000 Tom Ridge Stakes at Presque Isle Downs on May 12. Jose Sea View, who has earned $203,279, is one of three stakes winners, including Grade 2 winner Washington Bridge, and four stakes horses out of $179,890 stakes winner and WTBOA sale yearling Stirling Bridge, a daughter of Prized sold by Dr. Duane and Sue Hopp.

   By now all know that a deserving California Chrome won the 140th renewal of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yums! Brands (G1) and the great stories that surround this year's winner, including the tie-in between the second and now fourth California-breds to win the coveted race.

   This is a short recap of some of the horses with Washington connections who fared well at Churchill Downs over the Oaks-Derby days. Starting with the big race, second place Commanding Curve and fourth place Wicked Strong are both owned by racing syndicates which include Washington residents. Longshot Commanding Curve (Master Command-Mother, by Lion Hearted), who made a strong move in the final strides of the 10-furlong classic, is raced by West Point Thoroughbreds, whose ownership in the colt includes Issaquah-based Dennis Poppe. Second betting choice Wicked Strong (Hard Spun-Moyne Abbey, by Charismatic), who finished 5 3/4 lengths back in fourth, is owned by a Centennial Farms 20-person partnership which includes Bellevue-based Ed Baker and Peter Horvitz and Horvitz's wife Peggy and mother Lois Horvitz.

   Another interesting side note to this year's Derby winner, provided by Ray Hussa, is the fact that Washington native and Kentucky bloodstock agent Tim McMurry purchased Lucky Soph, the dam of Lucky Pulpit, while carrying the future stakes winner and star sire for Larry Williams out of the 2000 Keeneland November sale.

   The top two finishers in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) also have a connection to our state. The winner Untapable is another in the growing line of top performers sired by leading sire Tapit, who descends in female line from Washington's only Reine-des-Course Beadah.  Second place Oaks finisher My Miss Sophie - the 2014 Gazelle Stakes (G2) winner - is a half-sister to the Giant's Causeway mare Lillies So Fair, whose owners include Yakima attorney and former WTBOA president David Thorner.

   Grade 2 stakes winner Scherzinger, the four-year-old daughter of Tiz Wonderful who races for Dr. Mark Dedomenico LLC, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Jason Litt and Alex Solis II, finished third in the $330,600 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1). Following right behind her in fourth place was Selah-native Wesley Ward-owned and -trained Grade 1-winning millionaire Judy the Beauty, by Ghostzapper. Scott Gruender's Horseplayers Racing Club owns a young daughter (Thrillagee, by Congrats) of Judy the Beauty's winning half-sister Singing Sister, by Red Bullet. Thrillagee has been confirmed in foal to California stallion Vronsky.

   Dr. George Todaro, Rick Awtrey and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's Fury Kapcori - who was featured in the "Northwest Hoof Prints" in the Spring 2014 issue of Washington Thoroughbred - earned his first graded stakes win in the $100,000 Precisionist Stakes (G3) run at Santa Anita Park on May 3. Grade 1-placed at two, Fury Kapcori, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, scored a nearly six-length win over Handsome Mike in the 1 1/16-mile stakes. Fury Kapcori, a four-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Tiznow-Gin Running, by Go for Gin, improved his record to 6-4-1from 14 starts and has now earned $479,880. The short-priced favorite (.40-to-one) went gate-to-wire to take the race in 1:42 flat.  Todaro's other stakes winner, Zeewat, scheduled to run in the race was scratched by Hollendorfer.

   The following day, Todaro and partners' Salah Camp, a four-year-old California-bred son of Benchmark, won a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance at Golden Gate Fields to improve his record to 6-5-2 from 18 starts and earnings to $118,300.

   On  May 10, Todaro and Hollendorfer's three-year-old G. G. Ryder, ridden by Russell Baze, earned his first stakes victory in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes run at Golden Gate Fields. The California-bred son of 2008 Mt. Rainier Handicap winner Chhaya Dance-Stormy Gigi, by Storm Boot, has earnings of $131,230 and a record of 5-1-1 from eight starts. Washington-bred Pete's Slew finished a head back in fourth in the mile turf race.

   Tri-Cities Horse Racing Association's final 2014 races were staged over the Kentucky Derby weekend, May 3 and 4. Featured among the 18 races held were two Thoroughbred stakes - the $3,000 Jim Smith Ribbons and Lace Handicap for fillies and mares and the $2,100 Au Revoir Handicap for runners three and up.

   Tom Grether Farms Inc. homebred Tizabrightness, a five-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Cee's Tizzy-Tonzabrightness, by High Brite, took the six-furlong Ribbons and Lace by a nose over trainer Jacqueline Smith's Washington-bred She's Tops, a  five-year-old daughter of Woodstead Farm stallion He's Tops. Rob Dansereau's Lorna From Belize, by Takin It Deep, finished third in the six-horse field. Ridden by Pablo Madrigal, the winner is trained by Robert Lawrence.

   The 6 1/2-furlong Au Revoir was won by Dansereau's eight-year-old California-bred gelding Sammartino, a son of Siberian Summer who is trained by Brian Lusk and was ridden to the win by Jake Samuels. Virgil Marchand's Marshland (by Stormy Jack) and Silent Punch (by Pulling Punches) ran second and third.

   Among the eight Quarter Horse races offered were four stakes: the $27,149 Abigail Kawanakoa O' Gold Futurity, won by Pedro Sanguino's Cops R Zoomin; the $28,170 Sun Downs Distaff Challenge won by Miguel Sanguino's Chicks Special Angel; the $17,112 Sun Downs AQHA Maiden Challenge Finals Stakes, won by Ramiro Cancino's Midway Monster; and the $15,030 Sun Downs ZoeTis Starter Allowance Challenge Finals Stakes, won by Pedro Sanguino's Bellingham. All four winners are trained by Juan Sanguino.

   Connie Doll led all Thoroughbred riders with seven wins, followed by Pablo Madrigal with five and Jake Samuels with four. Donald D. Young and Silvester Juarez topped the trainers with three wins apiece. Current Emerald Downs leading trainer Jeffrey Metz had two runners at the Kennewick meet, registering a first and a third place. Tom Grether Farm Inc. had a perfect four wins from four starts, including a two-race streak with Tizabrightness, to lead all owners.

 The search is now on for Pacific Northwest trainers willing to showcase the talents of OTTBs for the 2014 The Prodigious Fund 100-Day Trainer Challenge.

   In its first year, The Prodigious Fund was proud to showcase the following trainers and horses: Chesna Klimek and Solar; Devin Robel of Blue Rider Farm and Summer Snow aka Rainier; Ruel Johnson and Tara Devlin of Blue Heron Farm and Underfunded Fun aka Sweet Pea; Meika Decher of Polestar Farm and The Last Say aka Ellie; Mark Bolender of Bolender Horse Park and Dakota Demon aka Dakota     The number of available trainer spots has expanded  to ten for 2014 in order to assist in retraining and rehoming more OTTBs.o showcasethe talents of OTTBs for the 2014 The Prodigious Fund 100-Day Trainer Challenge.

   Last year the social media component of the application proved important and crucial to the success of the trainers finding homes for their trainees.

   Listed below are the links to download copies of the Trainer Challenge explanation brief and application. The deadline is June 1, 2014. Please make sure to fill in the entire application.

       Click here for Trainer Challenge explanation brief.

       Click here for an application.

  The Prodigious Fund is also in the process of recruiting potential horses. Horses may be right off the track or off the farm, provided they have had no official "re-training."
  In June, the owners of the selected pool of horses will be asked to ship their horse(s) to Emerald Downs so a precursory soundness exam and flex test can be done. At that time the trainers will also be on
hand to inspect the prospects and Emerald Downs will take photos and videos.
  Next, the trainers will draw straws to determine the order of selection and then they will choose their horse according to the number they drew (number one gets first choice, two gets second choice, etc.).
  Once the horses are selected, the owners will be contacted to let them know that their horse was selected and by which trainer. The horses will go to the trainer at the end of June to begin their 100 days of
retraining.
  There will be a written agreement between owner and trainer as to what the reserve price on the horse will be. The goal is to move these horses into new homes so the sale price is important. The trainer earns a 25 percent commission off the sale of the horse, provided it is sold during the Challenge or within 60 days after the conclusion of the Challenge. The Challenge ends October 4 at the Thoroughbred Show at Donida Farm Equestrian Center in Auburn, where the Challenge horses will compete against each other.
  In addition to the commission, we ask that owners sponsor their horses in the amount of $1,000 for the 100 days, of which $750 of that goes to the trainer for expenses such as board, feed and shoeing, and the
remaining $250 goes into the prize pool for the trainers at the end of the competition.
   If you are an interested trainer, have a horse you would like to enter for consideration or have any further questions about the program, please contact Sophia McKee at (253) 288-7719 or  sophiam@emeralddowns.com. You can also visit the Emerald Downs website at emeralddowns.com.

   The Washington Thoroughbred Foundation's (WTF) website was launched on May 9, 2014. The new site offers information on the Foundation and its goals, including THRUST Industry Grants, the annual Equine Art Show, the Race For Education Scholarship, and new for 2015, Scholarship for the Arts.

   The WTF site can be accessed at thoroughbredfoundation.org, or by clicking the green WTF banner to the right on the WTBOA homepage at WTBOA.com.

   Emerald Downs Director of Broadcast Publicity and all-around Thoroughbred racing host Joe Withee was featured in a story on the front page of the Sports Section in the May 6, 2014, issue of the Seattle Times. The article, titled "Joe Withee has Become Washington's Voice of Horse Racing," was written by Scott Hanson. Withee, a star basketball player in his younger days, first got started at Longacres in the early 1980s and has developed an ever growing following.

   In the article, Emerald Downs president Ron Crockett lauded Withee with "Joe has done a huge amount for the racing industry . . . he is the voice of racing here." He went on the comment, "He's very well liked, not only around here, but around the entire industry."

   Good job, Joe.

   Applications Available for The Jockey Club's T.I.P. Non-Competition Awards http://www.paulickreport.com/news/bloodstock/applications-available-for-the-jockey-clubs-t-i-p-non-competition-awards/ Thoroughbred News Applications for The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP) non-competition awards, Thoroughbred of the Year and Young Rider, for 2014 are now available.

   The Thoroughbred of the Year Award recognizes a Thoroughbred that has excelled in a non-competitive career, such as equine-assisted therapy or police work. The award includes a $5,000 grant to the non-profit organization associated with the horse or to a horse-related charity chosen by The Jockey Club. The young rider award recognizes a rider 18 or under who owns or leases a Thoroughbred for use in 4-H, Pony Club or other activities. The winner(s) will receive a total award of $5,000 that can be applied to the college of their choice or to an event that furthers their involvement with horses.

   To apply for an award or to find out more information, please visit tjctip.com. The deadline to apply for either award is June 30, 2014.

   Created and announced in October 2011, TIP recognizes and rewards the versatility of the Thoroughbred through sponsorship of Thoroughbred classes and high point awards at sanctioned horse shows, performance awards and non-competition awards. 

   The May 12, 2014, Barretts' sale had 141 two-year-olds cataloged, of which 91 went through the ring and 70 sold for a $3,031,500 total and a $43,307 average. The figures were down considerably from the 2013 sale when 88 sold (with 46 outs and 21 RNAs) for $4,869,200 and a $55,332 average, but were comparable to the 2012 sale when 69 sold (with 39 outs and 20 RNAs) for $2,986,500 and a $43,283 average. 

   Among those consigned was the still unnamed Delineator-Marquet Formula, by Marquetry, colt bred and sold by Jean and Ed Welches' Tall Cedars Farm at the 2013 WTBOA sale. He was cataloged under John Brocklebank's TIP Sales, as agent, and was one of three juveniles, all from Brocklebank's consignment, who recorded the fastest work of the sale (:9 4/5). The colt was a $47,000 RNA. 

   An Indian Charlie colt out of Group 1 winner Macoumba, by Mr. Prospector, was sold at the venue for $100,000. He is a half-brother to two stakes-placed runners and leading sires Parker's Storm Catand Malibu Moon. 

   Peggy Hopwood's multiple stakes-producing mare, Crimson Cricket, a 1993 Washington-bred daughter of Crimson Slew, has foaled fillies by Rocky Bar in California the last two springs. Her most recent foal was born on March 2, 2014, and is featured in EA Ranches' ad in the May 2014 Thoroughbred of California. In addition to producing $99,041 Washington-bred stakes winner He's a Flyer, by Defensive Play, Crimson Cricket is also the dam of $202,511 multiple Arizona stakes winner Red Zeus, a 2010 son of Red Sky's.

   Al and Saundra Kirkwood's homebred three-year-old first-time starter Little Bit Lucky, a California-bred daughter of Lucky Pulpit-Stop the Humor, by Distorted Humor, won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at Santa Anita on May 4.

  Dr. Rodney Orr's homebred Boyett, Oregon's 2013 champion three-year-old male, went gate-to-wire to win a 12-furlong allowance/$40,000 optional claiming (N) race over Santa Anita's turf course for trainer Mark Glatt on May 1. Boyett - a son of Sharp Humor-Bella Cantu, by War Chant, who had won a maiden special weight race at Emerald Downs last year - has a record of 3-3-4 from 12 starts and earnings of $122,466.

   Top Washington Quarter Horse breeder and owner Abigail K. Kawanakoa won both $25,000 stakes offered at Los Alamitos over the May 10-11 weekend. On Saturday, her three-year-old filly Mesa Moonlight won the 350-yard La Pacifica Handicap by one length and on Sunday, her four-year-old filly Significant Heart took the 350-yard Miss Princess Handicap (G3).

   Mark Dedomenico LLC and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's three-year-old filly Stop Smiling went gate-to-wire to win a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance/$40,000 optional claiming (N) race at Golden Gate on May 11.  It marked the second win for the Florida-bred daughter of It's No Joke who had won a Hollywood Park maiden special weight race last year and also finished third in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes. She has earned $72,600.

   Pennsylvania-bred Officer Alex, a four-year-old multiple stakes-winning son of Officer, won the $75,200 Lyman Handicap at Parx Racing on May 3. The $227,268 earner and his $189,652 stakes-winning full brother Officer Ipod are sons of 10-race winner and $193,505 earner Ms. C D Player, a daughter of Boca Rio bred by Leonard Dunham in Washington.

   2011 Pegasus Thoroughbreds sale two-year-old Belle Gallantey took her third New York race in a row when the five-year-old daughter of After Market-Revealed, by Old Trieste, won a 1 1/16-mile allowance/$62,500 optional claiming (N) race by 3 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park on May 2. Stakes-placed at Hastings Racecourse at two, the $30,000 sale juvenile improved her record to 7-12-7 from 39 starts and earnings to $376,270.

   On May 5, three-year-old Freddie G, by Old Fashioned, won an allowance race for New York-breds at Belmont Park. The now two-race winner is out of Grade 1 stakes star Celtic Melody, a granddaughter of Washington broodmare of the year Fool's Miss.

   Grade 1 stakes winner Havana, in his first start at three, finished third in the $100,000 Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont Park on May 4 and increased his earnings to $718,000. The son of Dunkirk is out of a winning half-sister to three stakes horses and Pat and Mullen Chinn's winning producer Follow Your Shot.

   Mark Dedomenico LLC and North American Thoroughbred Horse Company's stakes-winning I Think So won her 2014 debut by 3 1/4 lengths in a six-furlong allowance/$50,000-$45,000 optional claiming (N) race at Hastings Racecourse on May 4. It marked the fourth win for the four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Proud Citizen-Steve's Lil Girl who has earned $125,409 in her 13 outings.

   After winning her only start at two, Honesto Dino and Arnold Ocol's Today Is the Day, a British Columbia-bred daughter of El  Dorado Farms LLC's Raise the Bluff, finished third in the $45,555 Ross McLeod Stakes run at Hastings Racecourse on May 3 in her first start as a three-year-old.

   Dr. Lois Philp's stakes-placed Page Design, who had run second in the 1991 Miss Yakima Handicap, had her fourth stakes horse and second stakes winner, when her three-year-old son Aspen Getaway, by Gilded Time, scored his second win in two starts in the $45,554 Jim Coleman Province Stakes at Hastings Racecourse on May 3. One of the last producing daughters of four-time Washington sire leader Staff Writer, Page Design is also the dam of $134,448 stakes winner View Halloo, by Halory Hunter; $70,662 stakes-placed Briarcrest, by Son of Briartic; and $50,105 stakes-placed Simon Templar, by Tempered Appeal, among her nine winners.

   Three-year-old two-time stakes winner Lexie Lou added her sixth stakes placement in ten starts when the Canadian-bred daughter of Sligo Bay (Ire) finished third by a half and a head to Wild Catomine and Hot and Spicy in the $137,992 Fury Stakes run at Woodbine on May 10. The $333,078 earner is the only foal to race out of Oneexcessivenite, a daughter of In Excess (Ire) and two-time Washington champion and Grade 2 winner Favored One, by Son of Briartic.

   Four-year-old Top Kat Miss, a daughter of Katowice out of Czechmate Miss, by He's Tops, bred in Washington by Elwin and Patti Gibson, won a three-furlong maiden race at Lethbridge by 1 1/4 lengths for owner-trainer Phil Wiest.

   1979 Washington Horse of the Year and 2013 Racing Hall of Fame inductee Table Hands was among a trio of mares featured an article "Regional Standouts - What They Can and Can't Do," written by Ellen Parker in the May-June 2014 issue of Pedlines...

   Four-year-old Mr. Leroy, a Washington-bred son of Prospected-Sweet Red Wine, by Bandana Red, bred and owned by Lynn Hebdon and trained by Robert Lawrence, won a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at Les Bois Park by ten lengths on May 13.

Eugene Zeren

   Eugene "Gene" Zeren, 83, who bred, raced and trained two-time Longacres Mile (G3) winner and 2003 Washington Racing Hall of Fame inductee Trooper Seven, passed away on May 13, 2014, of heart failure. He had been in poor health for some time.
   Gene was born on May 19, 1930, in Marshall, Minnesota and grew up in California.

   He served in the US Air Force and was stationed in England in 1951. It was there he met 17-year-old Jean Burrows - whose Newmarket family once owned a betting shop - and two years later they were married. Upon the couple's return stateside, he earned a master's degree in engineering at UCLA. A move to Federal Way followed, where Gene worked for The Boeing Company in their research and development department. A friend at Boeing introduced him to Longacres.
    Soon after the couple purchased their Whispering Firs Ranch in Wauna, a small town near Gig Harbor, Gene went to work for St. Regis Paper Company. When he retired after 23 years as a project engineer at their Tacoma plant, he became more involved with the horses.

   Their first venture into horse racing had come in the late 1960's with Decorated Miss. In 1969 the Zerens claimed seven-year-old Miss Holanda, a hard-knocking claimer who won 12 races from 103 starts.  She would go on to become the key link in their breeding program, for in addition to producing five-time Washington champion Trooper Seven, she was the dam of the Zerens' stakes winner, Bravo Seven, and stakes producers Hunter Seven and Miss Leslie, among her five winners. Both Bravo Seven and Trooper Seven would earn their initial stakes victories for the quiet-spoken Gene in 1979.

   Trooper Seven would become one of the fastest and most popular runners in state history. The 1976 son of Table Run would go on to win 13 of 28 starts and earn $371,435. More importantly, Trooper Seven was five-for-five at the one-mile distance, including back-to-back runnings of the Longacres Mile in 1980-81.
    The 1981 Mile, in which Trooper Seven defeated a star-studded field before a record 25,031 fans, is considered one of the greatest moments in state racing history.
  Trooper Seven sired six stakes winners, including Washington champion Spring Trooper and $303,929 multiple stakes winner Super Seven.
    Jean passed away in 2009. He is survived by daughter, Kimberly, of Scottsdale, Arizona.
    Per his request, he will be cremated and his ashes spread in the pasture where Trooper Seven lived and is buried. A wake in celebration of his life will be held on the farm at a later date.