Emerald Downs - Safe?

[tbrace]

We keep hearing that Emerald Downs in Seattle is not a safe track and has a higher that usual number of injuries and breakdowns.

Can anyone comment on what they have heard or experienced up there?

[Tucumcari]

It has always been notoriously hard on horses with a seeminly high incidence of injury.

[ireneinwa]

I've heard the same from a trainer friend of mine in CA. This was a few years ago. He told me don't run young horses there. Don't know if they have improved the track surface.

[drewsbadboy]

I've heard people say the same thing, but I don't have any personal experience with this track. It seems to me you hear about a lot of breakdowns there, but hard to tell.

[foothillsequine]

Two days ago I heard that the track was "breaking shoulders". I know this because I have a couple of horses shipping up there soon, and was told this by an asst trainer. Needless to say, I am hesitating on sending them.

[zinn21]

LKR is located in that area and I think she had one racing there. Perhaps she will chime in or PM her..

[ireneinwa]

I think Ill stick w/ CA Fair's

[tbrace]

I hear what everyone is saying. We are about to ship up there, and are having second thoughts.

Jeez, how much can a few loads of proper material and a tractor cost?

[tbrace]

Irene,
Who do you use in CA on the fairs and when and if you go to Emerald, in terms of trainers?

[ratherrapid]

trainers have used track surface as an excuse for injuring everything in their barns from time memorial. that's other than to say there's a surface problem at Emerald, but, i'd like to hear from the track super before making such a conclusion.

[magic code]

Emerald Downs goes through a spat of injuries every year. There have been 5 or 6 broken shoulders so far this year and at least 7 or 8 breakdowns.

Track management won't even admit there is a problem, so there won't be any surface fixes anytime soon.

They don't get race dates till mid-January, and arbitrarily decided this year to move opening day UP 2 weeks, so opening day is April 9 and the track opened for horses February 1. Look for some injuries right off the bat, as trainers will be running horses before they're fully fit.

Our horses are training at Portland right now.

[tbrace]

Magic,
Is Portland going to stay open this summer?

[foothillsequine]

The last race day is May 1st. Sometimes they leave it open for the summer for training but I don't know about this year. If Magic doesn't respond, I can try to find out for you.