Numbers up at Emerald Downs

Emerald Downs reported increased handle figures for its 2007 racing season,

which concluded Sunday. The meet ended with an average daily handle of

$1,415,172, a 2.3 percent increase over 2006. On-track handle rose 1.9 percent

over the previous year and in-state handle was up 3.4 percent.

A single-day handle record was set on the August 19 Longacres Mile H. (G3)

day when a total of $3,191,831 was wagered.

As expected, Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett was pleased with the season

results.

"We outperformed our expectations this year, and we were very pleased to see

increases on-track and in-state as well as overall," Crockett said.

Jockey Ricky Frazier demolished the previous record for victories by booting

home 157 winners. The previous mark was 148 winners set in 1996. Frazier set a

new earnings record of $1,632,102, which surpassed the previous mark of

$1,385,173, and ended the meeting with a 25.6 percent strike rate.

Trainer Doris Harwood set the record for stakes wins. The conditioner saddled

five different horses who captured 12 black-type events, including the

undefeated juvenile filly SMARTY DEB (Smart Strike), who defeated the boys in

Saturday's Gottstein Futurity and could be headed to the October 27 Breeders'

Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Harwood won a record six two-year-old stakes races.

Owners Northwest Farms and Ron Crockett Inc. added to the record book as

well. Northwest Farms racked up eight stakes wins at the meeting. Crockett set a

track and state record for earnings by an owner, accumulating $584,136.

Horse of the Meeting THE GREAT FACE (Cahill Road) tied the track and world

record for 5 1/2 furlongs when running the distance in 1:01 1/5, set the track

and state records for earnings at one meeting $292,875, and set track and state

records for earnings in one race when garnering $220,000 in the 72nd edition of

the Longacres Mile.

VICTORY SCRIPT (Game Plan), who won a remarkable seven consecutive races at

the meet (and is seven-for-seven in 2007), won the Top Filly or Mare prize as well as

Claimer of the Meet.