On Saturday, April 11, 2015, at 1:00 pm in the WTBOA Sales Pavilion, the WHBPA is giving horsemen the chance to meet with new Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler.

  Following Ziegler's presentation will be a Q & A session.

  Light refreshments will be served.

  Though not quite as successful as his Valentine's Day weekend results, breeder/owner Karl Krieg runners provided another good outcome from the March 28 stakes at Turf Paradise when 2014 Washington champion turf horse Lady Rosberg added her second stakes win of the year in the $35,000 Mesa Handicap and 2012-14 Washington champion Absolutely Cool finished third in the $35,000 Coyote Handicap.

  Running on the dirt this time, the five-year-old Lady Rosberg scored a 2 1/4-length win over favorite Small Moves in the 6 1/2-furlong race run in 1:15.80. Trained by Valorie Lund and ridden by Rocco Bowen, as was Absolutely Cool in his 6 1/2-furlong stakes, Lady Rosberg improved her record to 6-2-2 from 13 starts and has earned $106,722.

  Eight-year-old Absolutely Cool had proved a bit fractious in the gate, unseating Bowen. After drifting out slightly with a sixteenth to go, the gelded son of Absolute Harmony just missed second by a nose. One of two champions out of Washington broodmare of the year Coup de Foudre, by Basket Weave, Absolutely Cool has earned $$273,268 in his 33-race career.

  Five-year-old Kentucky-bred Better to Be Lucky, a daughter of Limehouse-Hey Seattle, by Seattle Slew, finished second by a neck in the 6 1/2-furlong Pete Selin Memorial Stakes run at Rillito on March 28. The six-race winner has earned $61,784 lifetime.

  Of the nine races offered at Golden Gate Fields on April 4, five winners had Washington owners, including Scott Centers' three-year-old Washington-breds Arrom Bear, a son of Blue Ribbon Farm stallion Nationhood-Lite Nite, by Conquistador Cielo, bred by Debbie and Rick Pabst; and Jenny Bear, a daughter of El Dorado Farms LLC's Private Gold-Special Return, by Slewdledo, bred by Billie and Bud Klokstad. The now three-race winner Arrom Bear took a five-furlong turf starter allowance by nearly two lengths, while Jenny Bear went gate-to-wire to win a maiden $8,000 claiming race. (See "Other News" for the other trio of winners.)

  It was good news for horsemen and Les Bois Park, when it was announced on April 6, 2015, that Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter made the decision to veto state legislation that would have made Instant Racing betting machines illegal. While putting a moratorium on any new Instant Racing machines, the roughly 250 machines currently in use will continue to allow bettors the option of placing wagers on prior unidentifiable races. Otter wrote in the defense of his decision, which proved unpopular with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, "In vetoing this bill, what I'm seeking is an alternative capable of restoring public confidence in horse racing as a legitimate and even ennobling industry that is tied directly and irrevocably to racetracks, to stalls and starting gates, to paddocks and jockeys, and to people who love the sport."    

  The Idaho legislature will now have a say on whether to override the governor's veto.

  Dr. Rodney Orr's homebred Next Right, trained by Mark Glatt, went gate-to-wire to win a six-furlong maiden $20,000 claimer by 14 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita on March 25. The five-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding - a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Smiling Tiger - is by Orientate out of Cahill Road's stakes-winning daughter Shandra Smiles.

  On the same card, five-year-old Five Palms, who was bred in Kentucky by Northwest Farms LLC and had been an $80,000 Keeneland September yearling, took a seven-furlong allowance/$62,500 optional claiming (N) race by 4 1/2 lengths. The gray/roan son of Unbridled's Song out of $706,120 graded stakes winner and Emerald Downs champion Ema Bovary (Chi), by Edgy Diplomat, races for Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman and is trained by Bob Baffert. It was the first start for Five Palms since a winning effort at Santa Anita on December 26, 2013. He has a record of 3-0-0 from four starts and has earned $100,680.

  Mark Dedomenico LLC's three-year-old Rosary Man went gate-to-wire to score a 1 1/4-length win in a mile maiden special weight held at Golden Gate Fields on March 26. The Louisiana-bred gelding, which was ridden by Russell Baze, is by Songandaprayer.

  Dedomenico and partners' Desert Dynamo, a three-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Desert Party, won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at Santa Anita on April 5.

  Four Times Lucky, a four-year-old British Columbia-bred filly from the first crop of El Dorado Farms LLC's stallion Abraaj, took her third 2015 win, all at Turf Paradise, when she won a 1 1/16-mile turf starter allowance in gate-to-wire fashion by two lengths. A full sister to 2014 two-year-old stakes winner Quatre Cat, Four Times Lucky has won seven of 15 starts and earned $39,219.

  Ernest Sherman's homebred Mr. Takahashi, a California-bred colt by Bertrando out of Sherman's stakes winning Beau Genius mare Beaulena, won a $25,000 maiden claiming race at Golden Gate on March 20. The Blaine Wright trainee was ridden by Russell Baze.

  Six-year-old Just Have'n Fun, a daughter of Lucky Acres' Matty G-Just an Angel, by Demons Begone, bred in Washington by Renee Larrabee, is just $46 short of the $100,000 mark after winning for the ninth time - when she took a $12,500 claiming race by 3 3/4 lengths at Turf Parade on March 31.

  Private Stevens, a three-year-old son of El Dorado Farms LLC's Private Gold-Anazeha (Chi), by Royal Danzig, bred by Richard T. Beal Jr. in Washington, won a $22.500 maiden claiming race at Golden Gate on April 2.

  David Heerensperger and Jose Nelson's Grade 1 winner Winning Prize (Arg) ran second in a hard-fought finish - he lost by a head - to Talco (Fr) in the $82,000 mile turf Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita on April l4. The six-year-old horse by Pure Prize improved his record to 8-2-1 from 17 starts. He has earned $637,013.

  Team Green, Dr. George Todaro and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's Skip Tony took the $30,000 Black JackStarter Handicap by 2 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on April 5. It was the ninth victory for the six-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Mizzen Mast, who went over the $200,000 mark with his win in the 1 1/16-mile event.

  Also winning at Golden Gate on April 4 were Washington-owned Lucky to Stay Home, a five-year-old California-bred daughter of Lucky J. H. who is trained and owned by Frank Lucarelli; Charlie Dunn, Gordon Jarnig and Ray McCanna's five-year-old California-bred gelding Atomic Rule, by Tribal Rule, who won a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance, is trained by Tim McCanna and was winning his sixth race; and fellow McCanna trainee Down the Fairway, a three-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Proud Citizen, who was breaking her maiden in a $12,500 claimer for Dean Mazzuca.

  Hail to the Nile, a four-year-old Louisiana-bred gelding by Pioneerof the Nile out of 2005 Washington broodmare of the year Takeaway, won an about mile turf allowance/$20,000 optional claiming race at Fair Grounds on March 28. The four-race winner of $128,901 is a half-brother to Washington champions No Giveaway and Youcan'ttakeme.

  After finishing third in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap in February, five-year-old War Correspondent, by War Front, won the $150,000 Appleton Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream on Mach 28. The half-brother to European highweight older horse Declaration of War, stakes winner and Grade-2-placed Vertiformer, French stakes-placed War Pact and Gibson Thoroughbred Farm stallion War Power has now earned $217,518.

  A Group 3 winner at Newmarket at two and winner of the UAE 2,000 Guineas (G3) in February, Godolphin's Maftool ran second to Mubtaahji in the $2-million UAE Derby (sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah) (G2) on March 28 at Meydan. Maftool, a Kentucky-bred son of Hard Spun, is the first foal out of With Intention, an unraced half-sister to Grade 2 winner and El Dorado Farms LLC's stallion Abraaj. Maftool has a record of 3-3-1 from eight starts and has earned $651,001.

  Three-year-old Giantouch, a Giant's Causeway gelding bred by L. Neil Jones out of his Group 3-winning mare Beauty O' Gwaun (Ire), who is from the immediate family of Jones' English highweight (14 furlongs and up) and St. Leger (Eng G1) winner Millenary, won a ten-furlong maiden race at Chelmsford City in England on April 1.

  Brazilian Triple Crown winner Bal a Bali, who is a direct descendent of Washington horse of the year Table Hands, is now back in training after suffering from laminitis shortly after being purchased by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm last year and is now forwardly training in RichardMandella's barn in California. The five-year-old son of Put It Back, who won 11 of his 12 starts in Brazil - the last win coming on June 8, 2014 - most recently worked four furlongs on April 2.

   The Northwest Natural Horsemanship Center (NWNHC) is hosting the third Annual Hol-Horse Expo, where horse owners and enthusiasts learn the benefits of holistic horse care. This year's Expo will be held April 18-19, 2015, in Fall City The event features demonstrations by local professionals on a variety of holistic techniques available to the Seattle-area horse community.

  "Using a holistic approach with our horses can be beneficial to their overall health and contentment. Healthy, happy horses are easier to train, more fun to ride and perform at their highest capacity" said Jim Hutchins, owner and director of education at NWNHC. "We are excited to bring holistic options in horse care to the forefront in our community."

  Holistic modalities are an alternative way of caring for and healing horses. It takes the mental, nutritional and physical health of the horse into consideration. The weekend will educate participants in a variety of holistic methods and give horse owners a chance to interact with local veterinarians and practitioners offering these services.

  The Expo will feature demonstrations by equine professionals including Suzan Seelye, DVM, of Quantum Healing, acupuncture practitioner and veterinarian Kelli Taylor, with Mindful Healing and Diane Garwood with Spirit Touch Healing. Others presenting include; Tuesday Frindt of Celeris Equine bodywork, and Dawn Spiegelberg presenting on balancing our body, mind and spirit for success.  Other topics to be covered include Red Light Therapy, equine massage and barefoot hoof health.

  Tuition for the Expo will be $15 per day or $25 for the weekend. The Northwest Natural Horsemanship Center is located at 32925 SE 46th St. Fall City, Washington. For more details go to: www.nwnhc.com.

  NWNHC was founded by Hutchins to share the success and joy he discovered with horses through a more natural and holistic approach. Today the Center offers clinics, lessons, training, kid's camps and more for horses and humans.

  The Center also operates a retail and online store providing quality horsemanship tools for the natural horse style (www.shop.nwnhc.com).