For the Reporter

The horse population at Emerald Downs has surpassed 1,000 for the first time since 2011.

Hot Bobby trained by Jim Penney and Lady Rosberg trained by Tom Wenzel, arrived at the stable entry shortly before noon on Saturday and became the 1,000th and 1,001st horse on the grounds. In 2014, the horse population peaked at 818.

“We are starting to see the results of having higher purses and more horses on the grounds,” said Emerald Downs President Phil Ziegler. “The field sizes are up which leads to more exciting races for our fans.”

Earlier this year the track announced a 20-percent increase in purses for the season and a package of horseman’s incentives including a popular Ship and Run bonus.

Hot Bobby is a 3-year-old Washington-bred gelding owned by Grasshopper Stable and Martin Durkan. Hot Bobby started once earlier in the race meet and has returned to seek his maiden win.

Lady Rosberg is a 5-year-old Washington-bred mare owned and bred by Karl Krieg. She was a triple stakes winner at the Turf Paradise 2014-15 meeting, pushing her lifetime earnings over $100,000. Trainer Tom Wenzel is excited to have her in his barn. “She’s very versatile. She has won on the dirt, the turf, and both sprinting and going a distance.”