Buoyed by an influx of horses and near perfect weather throughout the 50-day meeting, Emerald Downs' handle was up a healthy 49 percent in 2025.
Total handle was $66,264,922 for an average per-day of $1,325,928, compared to $48,870,629 for an average of $888,557 over a 55-day meet in 2024. On-track wagering average spiked 18 percent. Attendance was up nearly 10%, averaging 4,000 fans per race day with a season high of over 10,000 on Father's Day.
"There are over 1,000 people involved with putting on a race season and we would like to thank them all!" said Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler. "We have great fans who support live racing and all our special promotions."
Stakes races were concentrated over four days—June 22, July 20, Aug. 17, and Sept. 7—with each generating mutuel handles over $1.9 million. Longacres Mile Day, Sunday, Aug. 17, generated an all-time track record of $3,305,806.
Average field size swelled to 7.35 horses per race, with 3,074 starters in 418 races, up significantly from 6.45 a race in 2024.
The Pacific Northwest has a reputation for rain, but weather could scarcely have been better during the 2025 season spanning April 27-Sept. 7. The racing strip was "fast" for a remarkable 97 percent of the races (403/418) with average temperature a comfortable 71.4 degrees.
Kevin Krigger was top jockey, riding 70 winners to end a five-year stranglehold by Alex Cruz. Krigger, 41, previously won the title here in 2005. On the trainers' side, Jorge Rosales claimed his second title with 41 wins, 14 better than Blane Wright, Frank Lucarelli, and two-time defending champion Justin Evans, who all finished with 27 wins.
Aloha Breeze, one of four horses to win two stakes, was voted Horse of the Meeting, while her owner, George Todaro, tied for leading owner with eight wins.
