There will be no “last hurrah” for Yodeler on Closing Weekend with both races that were entered on Saturday and Sunday not filling.
We were fortunate that this didn’t happen earlier in the season but unfortunate that we were unable to get one final race in.
Sharon is welcoming all visitors to the barn on Saturday and Sunday if you’d like to say goodbye to Yodeler and Anelina and give them a final pat or carrot.
Both will be shipping out on Monday to the Ross farm in Maple Valley.
An agreement has been reached to sell Dancing Yodeler to Left Coast Thoroughbreds LLC for his $3,500 claiming price. The group is mainly comprised of existing Emerald Racing Club members and some new owners.
They plan to rest Yodeler over the winter and race him at Emerald Downs next year. We wish them the best of success campaigning Yodeler in the future! Who knows, next year’s Club just might be racing against Yodeler. He’ll be tough to beat.
Anelina
Anelina will go to Sharon’s farm for continued layup and rehab. We have had a Club member interested in offering her a home and we’ll be working on those details over the next month.
Her ankle continues to look good and she is being hand walked twice a day. Dr. Stenslie also makes farm visits to the Ross farm and will be able to continue to monitor her progress and recommend her exercise schedule.
Wrapping Up
We’ve got a few more blog posts to wrap up the first year of the Emerald Racing Club:
-September Financials
-Guest blog post by Dr. Everett Macomber on drug testing
-Final financials upon the transfer of Anelina to a good home
Next Year’s Club
I plan to open registration for the 2015 Emerald Racing Club to existing members in January. In February, I’ll open it to the general public.
You will be notified by email when registration opens.
We are extremely grateful that Sharon has accepted the opportunity to train for the Club in 2015.
If you have friends or family that would like to participate next year, please have them email emeraldracingclub@gmail.com to be put on the notification list.
Additional Questions
If you have any additional questions please ask them in the comments or send an email to emeraldracingclub@gmail.com.
Thank you for making this new endeavor such a wonderful experience for myself and for all the staff here at Emerald Downs. Our staff got so much enjoyment out of watching Yodeler and Anelina race for the Club. You were truly part of something special.
I sincerely enjoyed getting to know each of you and relished the opportunity to partake in your journey in racehorse ownership! We shared a lot of ups and downs and in my career in racing, this has been the most satisfying and rewarding project I have ever been a part of (and that includes being on the team for the 2007 Breeders’ Cup). So THANK YOU!
Emerald Racing Club 
Hi Sophia, What will happen to the remaining funds in the account? Will it be divided up among the members or put towards next year or will it be put to vote on? Thanks for all your hard work and a great year.
Hi Ed,
The funds will divided among the members after all expenses have been paid out. However, once that amount is determined members will also have the option of donating it directly to the Prodigious Fund for retired racehorses if they wish.
It may take some time to get to that final number because it will depend upon Anelina. However, the September financial post will be a close estimate.
Thank you Sophia for all you’ve done to make this a wonderful experience. I only wish I had lived closer so that I could have visited the horses and watched them train. My own fault for living on an Island.
I did really enjoy coming to watch the races whenever our horses ran though and I enjoyed the lessons you emailed us. It has been quite a learning experience.
I knew Allen and Larry Hoksbergen and Windy Wilkinson, when I was a young girl growing up in Ferndale, Washington and I spent a great deal of time with them, cleaning stalls, taking care of tack, and cooling down the horses after their workouts. But, I had no idea of all the other tasks they, as trainers, performed to ensure their horses the best chance for success in the sport they loved so much.
It is very thoughtful of Sharon to give club members the opportunity to visit Yodeler and Anelina at the barn Saturday and Sunday. Do we need to email for permission prior to our visit and are visitation hours the same?
Hi – Sharon here – anytime before noon Sat and Sun – the horses have all gotten pretty spoiled – they would all love a last hurrah!
You can count us in again for next year!
Thank you for doing what I have seen from afar an exceptional job for the emerald racing club in its inaugural year , congrats.
To all involved with the forming of ERC , Sophia, Larry & Sharon and of course Yodeler & Anna,Thank you again and again for the experiences & a life dream for me to be involved with the amazing thoroughbred race horse. I am looking forward to next season and hoping I will be able to visit the barn more often. It was a pleasure meeting all the members I came in contact with.
Hi All – Ane and Yodeler shipped to the farm today and both have stalls with a view. Yodeler couldn’t stop starring outside at the green pastures. I’m sure it has been a long time since he has seen a farm. Thanks to all the members of the Emerald Racing Club – because of you all joining we got to have Yodeler and Ane in our barn. They both are really nice horses. The summer went by very fast and it really was great to have so many visitors spoiling all the horses. Next years Club has big shoes to fill in the treat department at the barn! Looking forward to visitors at the farm. And to being the ERC trainer again next year! Sharon
Sophia- Thank you and the other Emerald Downs employees along with, of course, Larry and Sharon Ross, for helping The Emerald Racing Club make horse racing history. We have owned horses in the past trained by Jim Penney and Kay Cooper and were thinking about sitting out the season when we read about “The Club”. This gave us what turned out to be 2 horses to watch, root for, and of course, wager on. We had friends that would come out to the races when they ran . Some will get on the list for next year. Anyway, we only met once the first time everyone met for Dancing Yodeler’s first workout but we have had a fantastic time. It was too bad about Anelina but hopefully she can still enjoy a long life. It was kind of ironic when you mentioned the highs and lows of racing, it reminded us of a day one of our horses won and we were in the winners circle. Right after the picture, she was claimed and led away to Larry and Sharon”s barn. Our consolation we heard from many was she couldn’t be going to 2 more caring horse people. I’ve congratulated them on the Mile victory which was fantastic. Anyway, this is getting to be a little long winded but we will continue to cheer for Yodeler since he was the first for The Club and he truly is “The Peoples Horse”. Thanks again- Greg & Barbara Green
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 22:13:33 +0000 To: bsg22@msn.com
Dear Sophia McKee — My husband and I have been following the racing club since it was first covered in the newspaper. I have been receiving emails and passing them on to him. I believe at the time I signed up for emails I requested membership for both my husband and myself next season. I just read the article in Tuesday’s Seattle Times. First, I hope Anelina goes to a good home. Second, please put Richard and Kathleen Glassburn on the waiting list, if we are not there already, for next season’s club. We each would like a membership at $500 apiece. Thanks so much for all the good information. We are hoping to join you next time. ~ Kathleen Glassburn
Hi Kathleen,
Thank you for the note! You are on the notification list. We are looking forward to next year!