Happy Holidays from Emerald Downs! It’s simulcasting season and the 5th floor is open seven days a week for all the great race meetings currently in action. Santa Anita’s opening day is Sunday, 12-28, and they’ll race seven of the first eight days out of the blocks. Other top tracks to follow are Aqueduct, Gulfstream, Fair Grounds, Tampa, Oaklawn and, of course, Turf Paradise in Phoenix, where so many EmD horses and horsemen dot the race cards.

Frank Mirahmadi and Dan Jukich join Joe and Vince on this edition of Horseracing NW. Mirahmadi calls the action at Santa Anita (also Saratoga) and gives tips on how to improve an announcer’s trade. Also, great stories from his 30 years of race calling. Jukich has been calling several years more than Frank, he at Hastings in Vancouver B.C. Bad news on the future of that track announced recently, he’ll fill us in on that and more. Go to emeralddowns.com for a great deal on season tickets for 2026!