I wish there was a little bit more covered seating for the non-reserved seats - but them's the breaks. The price is right for general admission, very inexpensive, with free parking - or very reasonably priced preferred parking. There is a shuttle from the free parking if you don't want to walk as it is a bit of a hike. We have been here twice. Once for the relay races (which are coming up again in about a month); and this time for the bulldog races (hilarious and adorable). There are multiple spots to get a drink or food. There is also a merch stand, bathrooms, and of course, betting options for those betting. You can easily view the winner's circle and the live trumpeteer. read more

A great place to spend the day. However, the deli on the 5th floor is a joke. The employees are not organized and lack customer service training. read more

Emerald Downs is always a fun way to spend the day. We try to make it down to the track each visit. This time we visited on Italian day which included live music and specialty drinks/ food. I really like that you can go down to track level and stand right on the fence at the finish line. I would suggest getting there a little early to grab a table. Once you have your stuff on it we have not had any issues with people trying to take it or steal our stuff when leaving. Also check out Parker's Picks usually pretty good information. read more

I got here on a Saturday around 1:00 PM expecting to check it out for a little while and then head home, and instead I ended up staying most of the afternoon. I am not even a huge horse racing person, which is probably why this caught me off guard. The energy pulls you in fast. I grabbed some food, walked around a bit, watched a few races, and somewhere in there the whole outing shifted from "I am just here to see what this is like" to "okay, this is actually fun." The views are nice, the overall vibe is lively without feeling overwhelming, and there is enough going on that you do not need deep racing knowledge to enjoy yourself. That part matters, because some places can make you feel like you missed orientation. This did not. It felt accessible, upbeat, and like a genuinely unique local experience instead of another event venue dressed up as one. I could absolutely see bringing friends here and looking very organized for having suggested it. Go on a day when you want some energy and people watching with your afternoon. read more

I love the Emerald Downs horse races. It makes for a great date, or with friends and family. Great food all over. I like the tacos from the taco truck inside on the bottom floor. It's so much fun watching the horses live and learning to bet. read more

Emerald Downs - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

So sorry to hear the track has financial challenges I hope it can work out with the property owners. It's a great afternoon out with the family and the relaxing pace of horse wagering. It's especially great on clear days when Mount Rainier makes a spectacular backdrop to the races. It really could be a regional asset again if the finances can be strengthened. I was pleased to see at least another meet is on for 2026. It's unique entertainment in the PNW. My family all are rooting for Emerald to remain a valued community asset for many generations to come. read more

Had a blast and we rented a room upstairs with my mother in law and a bunch of friends. Was awesome to watch the horse races upstairs in a private room. The room rates are very reasonable and also comes with a Buffett lunch. Drinks are extra and a machine is in the room to bet on the horse races. I will never sit in the bleachers again outside! I'll be back soon. Thank you! read more

I came to Emerald Downs for the first time on Wednesday the 30th of June 2021. I had attempted to see horse racing live in-person once before at Santa Anita Park in California, but there were no races the day I visited. This time I was more successful and even figured out how to place bets for the different races. My choice to come was a bit spontaneous and followed track closure due to excessive heat during the first heat wave of the summer in the Seattle area in June 2021. The weather had started to cool off and races were back on, so I decided to come. General parking was about a 10 minute walk from the main entrance. I arrived near opening time for the night's races and there were only a few people here at that time. I decided to use the time to explore the grounds and figure out betting. After reading the betting instructions and multiple failed attempts at trying to use a betting machine, a worker came over and gave me advice. Figured it out after that! Though I did take too long to place a bet on one race... got a cash voucher back, which I cashed in. That was the only money I made on betting that day, taking too long to place a bet :). My ticket was for general admission, and I took full use of the ground-level seating, tables, and walkways around the paddock area. I would follow each batch of race horses as they were walked in, saddled, mounted by their jockey for the race, and walked out to the race track. Then I would find a spot to watch the race from along the fence separating the seating from the track itself. Definitely a way to stay busy during the races. The Washington Horse Racing Hall of Fame is also housed here and worth a look if interested and/or have some time to do some exploring. Multiple options are available for eating, I went with a cheeseburger, fries, and Coke Zero and was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. Ate all of it and typically I am not one to finish a full order of fries. Tables are set up along the walkway from the paddock area to the race track, which is where I decided to eat my dinner. Fun being able to eat dinner and see the horses up close at the same time. All around I had a great experience and a thoroughly enjoyable first time watching horse racing live in-person. Though to be fair, I think in part this was because I chose to come by myself and figure things out on my own, except for the betting where a worker provided unsolicited help so I could figure it out. All the workers I interacted with were upbeat and kind in their interactions. read more

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It was fun but very cold please bring a jacket or a blanket And there's def no parking read more

Cool place to come with the family and watch the horses race. Did not try any food while I was there but the bartender dude upstairs in the vip area was pretty cool and gave me a couple free cokes. Next time I wanna check out the horse races I will come back for sure. read more

Emerald Downs - Let's go horses!!! - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Waiting for first race. On grand daughters birthday. She will be in the T Rex races. Tried there garlic fries they where cold and nasty read more

Emerald Downs - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I went to this Racetrack for the first time since Opening Day. I live closer now and decided I needed to go to experience Live Horse Racing. I'm going to Vegas in Oct and will play my favorite Game Derby. They run a free shuttle picking up people from the free lots 6-7 blocks away. It's $10 parking otherwise. Parking is not that expensive compared to other sports events and if you have elderly or disabled people in your party to park nearer. The Shuttles don't have wheelchair lifts. Online admission tickets charge $1.50 serv. Fees with 20% off $10 was only a 50 cent savings. Most of food there was not that gourmet or ethnic. So if you don't want fatty fries, Hot dogs, Burgers, pizza (stand was closed) or Burritos, popcorn, eat somewhere else before to go. The Mex. Burrito stand had Horchata, another punch, Guava juice for $3.13 a can. So I got that. Soda is very expensive at the other stands. There is an Espresso stand with Ice Cream and hot tea too. There was no Sushi, Salmon, or Chinese food there or other Asian or Middle Eastern. Majority of the Jockeys were Mexican, Latino and saw one Black Jockey who yelled out after racing when he passed by the crowd. He did not win. They gave awards in between the races too. It was a fun day at the track with a partial view of Mt. Rainier. In the evening like Sat Nights, they feature live bands. Plus off season, people can rent the venue. I went there for a Franklin HS Foundation event once too. read more

Emerald Downs - Screens inside back bar. Less crowded to place bets. No lines. - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I came here because I had free tickets from my work. And you know what, I'm looking forward to coming back! Next time, I'll leave the kids at home and party it up at night! They had an AC/DC cover-band right after the races, and I missed it because I had my kids with me (that's for the 21+). So it was family-friendly to watch the horses race on the track and we saw the jockeys up close. The kids liked picking out their horses to see whose gonna win, as it's like the Mariners game and watching the reader-board with the fastest-boat challenge or where's the coin/boat hidden under which cup. There's ice-cream, beer, hard alcohol, and we got a free soda and chips thanks to our tickets. We also got a free program, which made the event more fun. We hadn't been in decades and it was our kids first time to see the horse races. Parking was free at the ends and Emerald Downs offers a free shuttle. That was awesome! No lines at the gate, we basically walked right in about 30 minutes before the first race. People were inside in the casinos and on every floor. A lot of folks looked like regulars you'd see at any casino in WA. The kids enjoyed sitting in the sun by the gates in general admission where you could see the racers and horses up close. We did not like watching the jockeys whip the horses! And the horses looked skinny! You could see their ribs on the horses who lost. The winners were a bit thicker, we noticed. I did not like watching the jockeys whip the horses across to the finish lines!! They are smart animals! They are like humans or most mammals: if you praise them, they will perform! Sorry, but that's my main reason for the 4/5 review: I was really bothered watching another creature get whipped! It's not right! In between rounds, or sessions, or races whatever it's called, I googled about jockeys using whips. An Australian study found there was better performance when the jockeys did not whip and it was outlawed in the last 100m of the race. Your entire track is a mile. I won't see it until the end. Please, for the love of the horses, don't whip them!!! And if you do, then I do not want to see it! The kids enjoyed the other sites too. We saw the ostriches, zebras, and camels as they will be racing tomorrow. I liked the program as we were able to see the horses names and what times they would race. I didn't realize there's 8 races going on in a day, like a track-meet, they would race every 20-30 minutes and we left about 1/2 way through, at end of the 4th race as the kids got bored. But I'd go back, as I think I could enjoy a beer in the sun betting on horses all day in the sun and kicking it up at night! That all sounds fun to me! read more

Emerald Downs - The camel was chill, the ostrich was scary! If that ostrich was running after me, I'd be freaked out!! - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I always have a great experience here whenever I visit, absolutely gorgeous especially with the timing and flexibility. Arrived at 11:40am the gates don't open until 12pm. We went up to the cafe on the 5th floor, the selection was lovely!! Either a basic salad, breakfast platter or their special was salmon, broccoli & potatoes only for $12! We spent the day there and the space they have is emasculate. I'll keep coming the more time I have!! I did win $6 more then what I bet and I'll take it rather then a loss. You get to see each horse prior to betting & are able to pet them if you get the chance! read more

Emerald Downs - General Area - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Fun time - first time at Emerald Downs, lots of food and drink options. Parking is a challenge though, recommend you just use the $15 parking unless it's a weekday. Free parking on a weekend is... difficult read more

Great date day! Would probably find food prior to going, but the beverages are good. Gorgeous day at the races, though! read more

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My family and I have been coming here since I was a little kid. In the summer time it is so nice to sit outside on the bleachers or upstairs at the restaurant while watching the horses race. The facilities are clean, spacious, and staff have been friendly and nice every time we have visited. I just visited this place again yesterday and my experience was very similar to prior times. We spent most of our time on the 5th floor where there are seats and big open windows to watch the track. It's nice because there are many spots to find a good view of the finish line. The food is decent but a little on the pricier side in my opinion... but then again, I feel like that is to be expected at a place like this. We walked by the casino with the bar and it was pretty small. I'd say there were maybe around 8-10 tables with games like blackjack, but no slot or poker machines from what I saw. The bartender was pretty nice though and gave heavy pours from what I saw. Overall, I definitely think is place everyone must visit in the summer time! It's always a great time, and the person I came with already started talking about how we had to visit again when it was warmer! read more

Emerald Downs - Emerald Downs Dining Room! - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I don't quite like the idea of horse racing, but this place is fun. It's family friendly and there are also activities for the adults, such as, gambling and drinking. If you go early in the day all you'll see is older folks in the casino. They also have live music so it makes it lively. Emerald Downs often have different kinds of events scheduled with the horse race so it's not just the horse racing. I went when they have $1 pint of beer and $1 wings so that was cheap and nice to drink while watching the race. I got a Groupon so it included a $10 voucher of food as well! So that was even a greater deal that day for the wings! I have noticed they have the American classics in terms of food and tacos too. My boyfriend cannot eat wheat so he was really surprised that one of the burger places there had gluten free buns, and there wasn't an extra charge! They also have an annual fun corgi race in the summer where you can bring your own corgi for a fun race. Though you can only bring the dog that is racing and other dogs that are not signed up are not allowed. read more

Went there for my sister-in-laws birthday and was planning to grab some dinner prior to catching a show there on the 5th floor. We should have went else where for food. First, we ordered some drinks and that took 20 minutes to get. My friend ordered an Old Fashion and I don't remember an Old Fashion being a shot. Apparently the bartender doesn't know what an Old Fashion is. When food finally arrived, about thirty minutes later, two of the orders were missing. My sister and her friend didn't receive their order until the rest of us were almost done. Would recommend going there for the horse races and other events, but for food....go elsewhere. I ordered a simple Bacon Burger with fries. I did however get a bacon burger with fries but neither the burger nor fries were that hot. Giving them a one star for food and price. Way over priced for what you get. read more

Emerald Downs - Bacon Burger - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Spent the entire Sunday card here. First time for my son at this track. I've been here a number of times back in the "Longacres" days. This has always been a good place. They seem to go a little extra to treat you well. Decent food, lots of places for good drinks, excellent seating in different places. I really like the paddock area at this track. Lots of vantage points. Free parking is a plus. Paid admission is not. Will return again......as always. read more

Fun family event. Lots of activities for both adults and kids. We go at least once a summer and will continue to attend. Check the schedule before attending. Emerald downs does a great job with Theme days. They make the experience even better. read more

I finally made it to the track for the first time and lucky for me it was on the food truck day. There were 10 races, which four of were stake...whatever that means. I bought seats in the grandstands since I wanted my own designated seat as well as a little shade since it was a nice sunny day. Totally worth the $10.50 I paid online! The place was clean, bathrooms were fine, and all the staff I dealt with were nice to talk to...even the employees who had to deal with my awkwardness while placing bets. I don't know if I'll be coming on a normal basis, but I'll come back eventually and hopefully make some $$$. read more

Emerald Downs - $34 winner! C'mon Flea Biscuit!!! ;) - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

A group of us came to watch the ponies for my wife's birthday. This time around we decided to sit in the Rainier Restaurant located on the 5th floor. Reservations were accepted and secured with a Discover card via phone 253-288-7711. In the event of a no-show, our credit card would be charged. The table is reserved for the entire horse race event so there's no pressure to leave after dining. The Rainier is open Friday-Sunday during live racing. Several betting stations are available. Each table is equipped with a monitor to view the races. Waiter service is offered. Tabs were easily split without additional gratuity added. We all were able to apply our $10 Groupon food credit towards our meals. Rainier is a great choice when the weather is poor or when wanting secured seating. read more

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I went to Emerald Downs through Yelp Elite event and it was my first time going to some place like this. They gave us a tour of that complete property. I had casino, restaurant, bar area and tables dedicated for people who wants to bet on the horses and all that fun stuff. We met El who was one the employees of Emerald Downs who explained everything related to derby and jockeys and how important weight is in this game. Later we are guided about the betting and how it works. They have a lot of event and celebrations scheduled. The biggest one is July 4th one, where a lot of people will come for all different events. Lastly we were provided with good food and company. For me it was a great experience as I never went to a place like that in past. read more

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Fun low key place - if you've never been you should check it out! The first time I watched the races I wore a big hat and felt a bit silly and out of places - perhaps had it been closer to the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, or Churchill Downs race weekends more folks would have been dressed similarly, but if you're going on a random summer weekend, you'll find people mostly in jeans and t-shirts. I've now been here a few times and each race is as exciting as the one before it! At the start of each race they bring out the horses and their jockeys so you can see how the horses look and behave prior to the starting gates. No matter how long the race is, the finish line is always right in front of you so you can see the most exciting part of the race up close and personal! There are several food vendors and if you purchase the $10 Groupon, it will pay for your entry, a program, and $10 worth of food. If you want to just sit and be a spectator you can be entertained at next to no cost - it's truly a fun experience every time! read more

Slowest service ever - spent the entire 2nd and third race standing in line to get drink and food ridiculous

I recently was fortunate enough to go to an event at Emerald Downs which allowed a group of us to tour the facility and learn about the processes behind the races. It was so cool to learn about the jockeys, the care the horses receive, and hot tips on how to bet on the races. All of the staff were super friendly and the food was really good. I was pretty excited to see the casino but it was pretty much card tables only due to permits and such. They are in the process of having the ability to bring it slot machine and so forth, but no telling how long that may be. For now the races are fun and exciting and there is optional seating both inside and out. I highly recommend this place for a little gambling fun and it's perfect for families too! read more

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I've been to a few horse races in my lifetime and this horse racing track in Auburn, WA was a disappointment to say the least. Appearing as though it hasn't been renovated in decades the inside betting area looked like an old abandoned bowling alley and the food stalls were super limited. The track itself was alright but it really just struck me as a location that did not care about updating any of their seats, fences, equipment and that I took a trip back to the 80's. If you are looking for a fun time on the weekend, make sure you bring the fun with your party cause you won't really find it here. read more

I am a real horseracing fan and have been to tracks all over LA. Now that I am a resident of WA, I had to check out Emerald Downs. Had a very pleasant experience throughout the facility. We did the tour in the morning and it was very well done. We got to see the backside and even got into the jocks room, something no other track tour that we've done has included. Came back for the races in the evening and had a great time. This is not a big major racing venue but really well-run mid-sized operation. Very evident was the friendly atmosphere among the staff. Everyone, mutual clerks, bartenders, gift shop staff, ushers all were nice, friendly, and helpful to us and they all seemed to know each other and enjoyed what they were doing. Even if you are not a horseracing fan check this place out, you will not regret it. Looking forward to the next trip. read more

All sorts of fun and interesting stuff in day or nights ( Friday nights ) events. Good drink gambling, entertainment. Lots of fun for adults or the whole family depending what's going on any given weekend. I haven't been here since my dad passed away though so long ago :( Feb, 1993 ) I moved back from California though and am looking forward to having a nice day out one of these weekends to see how the place is looking and get a eurphoric experience out of it. The memories of my dad and i are some of the most cherished I have there read more

They have these old ladies in the entrance. (I have nothing against old ladies) But They're just to snappy.. All 3 I dealt with in different occasions. They We're annoyed by my questions. I couldn't hear them. They wouldn't repeat what they said.. That 30-40 second interaction is always super TENSE! read more

Hi my name is Mitzie H. and I LOVE the ponies. Sometimes I'm lucky and the ponies love me back and sometimes I'm not so lucky but what ever the case may be it's still a fun way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Now if I were to rate Emerald Downs off of my first few visits it would only get a 1 star rating. This is because I grew up "Playing Where the Surf Meets the Turf" at the beautiful Del Mar race track http://www.dmtc.com/. It's an amazing track with an amazing view plus they have a turf track and you can walk out to the infield and watch the races from the grass. There is none of that at Emerald Downs, though Emerald Downs does have a nice view of Mount Rainer but a view of the beach, a turf track and watching the races from the infield trump Mount Rainer any day of the week in my book. Over the years I've grown to appreciate Emerald Downs for what it is. A cute little race track that's here for me to bet on some ponies. Note the track isn't little just the grounds are, at least to me. I've sat just about everywhere, the bleachers seats, in the Triple Crown suites (I got lucky on this invite), the view room (a friends birthday party) and clubhouse (a Kentucky Derby Party), and the grandstand; because the place is rather small there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Also because it doesn't get super crowded if you like to stand at the finish line you can normally budge your way in to watch the race. On normal visits I'll either just pay the $5.00 to get in and roam around or pay an extra $10.00 and sit up in the grandstand area all depends on my mood. So over the years I've establish some favorite jockeys and trainers at Emerald Downs, some of my favorite jockeys are Jennifer Whitaker, who by the way won the Longacres mile yesterday and was the first woman jockey to ever win it. I also like to watch Kevin Radke, Seth Martinez and Ricky Frazier who all did well for me yesterday as well. Some of my favorite trainers are Howard Belvoir, Robert Baze and Tim McCanna. I'm not going to lie, 9 times out of 10 I end up picking a horse not because of the jockey or who trained it but because of its name or its color, I always bet on the gray horse ALWAYS. They have a wide variety of concession items and the prices are cheaper than Safeco and Qwest Field concessions plus if you want a cocktail you can have a cocktail and drink it in your seat you aren't stuck in some bar drinking it away from all the action. Plus they let you bring in your own food and non-alcoholic drinks so you don't even need to hit up the concession stands if you don't want too. If you're looking for something fun and different to do come down to Auburn and check out the ponies, it is fun and there's some great people watching to be had. I want to add I only go one to three times a season I'm not down there every weekend blowing my paycheck I promise! read more

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My horse-track betting cherry has been popped, and I loved it! This was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. My friend wanted to spend her birthday with good friends but with a different flair. When she mentioned the horse races I found myself more excited then anything. There was three couples and none of us had ever been to the horse track (well I had but back home in Tucson, and honestly I wasn't paying much attention). They were passing out free Scratch tickets and someone at our table won $3. And in fact from then on we were all winners. Of course when you make a $2 bet your return isn't stellar, but then if you lose ... well it's only $2 honey, deal with it. We booked a bit late in the week to get a really good seat in the restaurant, but we could see the far side of the track very well and each table came with a lil' TV to which you could tune into Emerald Downs or the plethora of other tracks around the country. How fuckin' cool is that?! I tried to go off stats and wins, but honestly we were having so much fun that I eventually just went with the names that amused me. Take for example Queen Charisma, or Viking Tribunal, or Spatterdash. All winners in my book! The food was good, not amazing but good and fulfilling. Generous portions, and generously booze filled adult libations = happiness! I had the paella, a wee bit too salty but that's why there's pepper right? Ian had breakfast, with the plate the size of his head. Nick had fish and chips, the other couple split the buffalo chicken sammy, and a salad for Nicole the birthday girl (can't remember specifically what kind of salad). We even splurged on ginormous banana splits. Our server was attentive and down-to-earth, even saved us the hassle and broke our bill out for us. Everyone else we encountered working there was very sincere and friendly. No one mocked us or treated us like crap for being first-timers. $5 admission, free general parking, $5 perferred parking, $10 valet, kids 17 & under FREE! There's a petting area, pony rides, an arcade, several bars, loads of general seating, and just an all around great vibe. Note to other first-timers: do yourself a big favor and buy the $3 racing book specifically for the newbies. I CANNOT wait to go back! Next time I'm betting big, HUGE! read more

Emerald Downs - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

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I'm just going to be honest and tell everybody on Yelp up front that I'm not interested in horse racing. That's right, I said it. Let me reiterate. I have no interest or knowledge in gambling or horse races. So I must have decided to come here and torture myself so I could give Emerald Downs a negative review on purpose, right? Well, no. My parents got free tickets to come here, and so they were like, "hey Kevin, wanna go see horses run really fast for free?" Well, I knew what my answer was. Another life experience and Yelp review down. Before we even begin, it is necessary to mention that the audience for these races is so big that their parking lot apparently requires a shuttle of sorts to ferry customers to and from the track. Wow, what a waste of gasoline. It was only like a five-minute walk from where we had parked our car, but my parents insisted on trying the shuttle out and it was pretty hot that day. Hey, at least the ride was free. General admission here is $7; w/ rewards is $5. Whatever that means. Moving on. My parents and I got to enjoy seats on these nice (sarcasm) bleachers out in the sun with a great (sarcasm again) view of the track. Seriously, whoever designed this thing needs to be fired. The day was hot, and so some shade would have been nice. You know what also would have been nice is elevated seating so that the spectators can have a view of the entire track and not just the part that's closest to them. I know, what a crazy idea. So it went like this. The horses would run by us really fast, during which time we could see them clearly for ten seconds at the most. After the race results were determined, we would then sit around and wait for like twenty minutes for the next race to start, and it was basically the same tedious process rinsed and repeated. This was so boring that my parents and I just left after the second round. We have a pretty good idea of what we were missing out on, i.e. nothing. For the adventurous gamblers out there, yes there is horse betting. There's even a certain art to it that I so don't care to learn. I never even figured out how to place a bet here, but they did have a sort of wall of fame displaying the prize money that people had won here in the past. Somebody scored $17,480.75 from winning here. What a fantastic reward. With that money, I'd pay for the ability to never be bored in my life again. read more

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I've attended two weddings here in the past, but I have never actually been here for a race before. I finally did with my Groupon purchase! Did you know ED is owned by the Muckleshoot Indian tribe? Had a wonderful time. Lots of shaded seating & also sunshine. Beautiful view of Mt. Rainier from the track. Plenty of beer stations (Budweiser, Corona, Coors Light & Manny's from my memory) and typical "arena" type food -- hot dogs, burgers, fish & chips, fountain sodas and soft serve ice cream. I saw people bringing coolers in filled with beverages, which is allowed. No alcohol though. Also noticed lots of families and kids spending the whole day there. Wow! Not a bad way to spend a sunny afternoon. Cheap entertainment. read more

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This is a good place to go for an anniversary. They offer a buglers to do a special song for you and can offer a saying on the electric board on the field. We sat in the front row by the glass in the main dining room. We had good service. The steak was good, tea was general tea bags. We won $79 from just doing a couple $2 bets. which is always fun. It costs like $8 entry and if you make reservations at the dining room, you get the table for the whole event as long as you spend $10 a person. So it's definitely a nice way to watch the races! read more

Emerald Downs - our winning at Emerald downs. - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

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I'm going to go ahead and assume that my Emerald Downs experience is different from most people's. My uncle owns one of the horses that races here, so we got to do a ton of cool things. For starters, we got to sit in the VIP club, which has it's perks (AIR CONDITIONING). Up in the VIP club they serve food and each table has it's own little television so that you can watch the races on there as well as through the huge open windows. Up here is where we also ate - I got the chicken friend steak. The chicken fried steak honestly wasn't that great, but the mashed potatoes and veggies that came along with it were really good! If you eat here, GET THE PEANUT BUTTER A LA MODE. My life was honestly changed. But be warned - it is RICH. You need milk and an extra person if you plan on surviving. Another super cool thing that happened - my dad and uncle somehow got the fifth race of the day named after my little sister. It was in the programs, on the big screen outside... Everywhere! She was SO pumped. Probably the best part of the day for me was the part where we got to go to the stables and PET THE HORSES!! Holy shit. I got to feed them too! I'm still dying. I'm not sure I would come to Emerald Downs to sit outside in the hot, hot heat. However, if I was coming back again as a VIP guest... Count me in. read more

Wow, what a surprisingly fun way to spend an afternoon. I had a great time checking out the horses, the riders, looking at the odds and statistics and talking to others enjoying the races. It was $7 for entry and then we spent $2-$4 betting on individual races. We actually did pretty well. It's fun to take a chance on a slightly educated guess and then watch for the results, you win some, you lose some, and in the end you've had a good, fun day without having to spend much. Be prepared as you'll be outside, which is nice, if you're prepared, hot or cold having the right stuff is important as this is a place to be outside unless you choose to go for one of the higher prices seating sections. On a good day Mt. Rainier is the back ground to your race day, but the mountain doesn't always show itself. Everyone that I encountered working here was especially helpful, one person even going out of their way to help me when I needed assistance. I'll be back. read more

Emerald Downs - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

This is a great place to take the family, or to just have a nice night with the significant other. It's leisure at its best, it's entertaining, and it's cheap. I love going on Friday nights - the seating is free and we have the EMD shirts so admission is also free. If you don't have a shirt it's $7 admission, with a rewards card it's $5. There's a lot to learn in order to bet, but you shouldn't be intimidated. It's easy to learn, and fun. It also gets you more involved in the race. After going for a couple of summers we have learned a lot about the different jockeys and who runs well. I look forward to continued visits to EMD and highly recommend the experience. read more

Emerald Downs - Best bargain drink, $7.50 long island iced tea. - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Great choice for a fun afternoon! On the weekends the races start at 2. We valet parked for $10 (totally worth it) the Valet is fast and well organized. It's $7 for admission and programs are a additional $2.50. The program is packed with very informative information on the horses bio's, all the different types of wagers as well as the different betting strategies. We lucked out with both beautiful and clear weather, so we could enjoy that magnificent view of Mt Rainier. It's pretty simple to figure out, they let you view the horses before each race, you place your bets, you watch the horses run for a minute or two, you collect your winnings or bemoan your losses, then do it all over again! It's exciting and fun! It's a great layout of the facilities the elevators and bathrooms are easy to find and access, staff was very attentive, betting machines, and betting staffed counters are convenient, its clean and the food is affordable/good. read more

Emerald Downs - Photo finish. - Horse Racing Near Me - Auburn, Washington