Emerald Downs opens Saturday with Derby watch party
Published 11:57 am Friday, May 1, 2026
AUBURN – Opening day at Emerald Downs on Saturday doubles as a Kentucky Derby watch party this year, and many local horse racing fans will have a rooting interest in the race 2,000 miles away.
So Happy, trained by Auburn native Mark Glatt, will be among the favorites in the Run for the Roses, set to be run at 3:57 p.m. Glatt’s father trained horses at Longacres in Renton for many years before its closure in 1992, and he followed in his father’s footsteps, training at Emerald Downs in its inaugural season of 1996.
Glatt has been based in Southern California since then, winning multiple major stakes races. So Happy, who won the Santa Anita Derby last month, is Glatt’s first 3-year-old to make it into the Kentucky Derby and has attracted a lot of support in the early betting, making him the third choice in the 20-horse field.
When they aren’t watching the action on screen, fans can take in six live races that will serve as an appetizer for spring and summer. After this week’s lone racing day, the track will begin its regular schedule of weekend racing. Friday evening cards begin after Memorial Day, adding up to 51 racing days through Sept. 7. Weekend first-race post times are 1:30 p.m. and Friday evening cards begin at 7 p.m.
An influx of horses from California and Canada, where some racetracks have closed in recent years, gave Emerald Downs a boost in 2025. Wagering was up 48 percent and on-track attendance was up 10 percent last year. The track expects to have nearly 800 horses on its grounds by mid-May, which should help continue to fill its cards with larger fields and more exciting racing.
The $125,000 Longacres Mile is one of 20 stakes races on the schedule, concentrated over four Sundays of action — June 21, July 19, Aug. 16 and Sept. 6. The Mile will anchor Championship Sunday on Aug. 16. The 2025 Mile, won by California shipper Arrowthegreat, capped an 11-race card on which bettors wagered a track record $3,305,806.
Jockey Kevin Krigger, who ended a run of five straight titles by Alex Cruz, is back to defend his Emerald Downs’ riding title, while 2025 training champion Jorge Rosales will try to notch his third title overall.
Some familiar horses back in training include Aloha Breeze and three-time Washington Horse of the Year Slew’s Tiz Whiz, each of whom has won seven stakes races. Tom Wenzel, who trains both horses, begins the season one win shy of the track record of 67 stakes victories.
Emerald Downs typically draws larger crowds than most racetracks, thanks in part to popular promotions. This season’s slate includes the annual fireworks show on July 3, corgi races on June 26-27, and bulldog races on May 17. The T-Rex World Championship, which features people in inflatable Tyrannosaurus rex costumes racing through the homestretch, is scheduled for July 12. On June 20, the track will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its opening in 1996.
