Muckleshoot Tribe to purchase Emerald Downs race track

AUBURN, Wash. -- The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Emerald Downs.

The transaction with is expected to close in the next 60 to 90 days. Northwest Racing Associates has owned the racetrack since its beginning in 1996.

The tribe has been Emerald Downs' landlord since 2002 when it acquired the 157-acre property that the track sits on.

“The Tribe’s long-standing support of the state’s thoroughbred racing industry continues with this transaction”, said Muckleshoot Tribal Council Chair Virginia Cross. “It is the Tribe’s goal to keep the thoroughbred horseracing industry as a viable part of our state’s economy. Emerald Downs sits in the center of the tribe’s historical homeland and this transaction makes it an important part of our economic development program.”

The 2015 live racing season is scheduled to run from April through September with the stable area opening February 1st.