Emerald Downs: Jose Zunino broke from the Emerald Downs gates for the last time on closing day

9/22/2024

(Auburn, WA) Closing day was set to be the dream come true ending to a great career for local fan favorite and journeyman Jose Zunino. The ultimate dream of Zunino getting to ride the horse of his career 1 more time and hopefully to a win didn’t happen because of the track conditions forced the scratch of 2022 Longacres Mile Champion Slew’s Tiz Whiz who Zunino rode to victory in that race.

That left 1 ride for the day for Zunino. His long career was coming to an end on Sunday, September 15 with a final riders up on A Skip in the Park sent out by trainer Tom Wenzel. Zunino no question wanted his final ride to be for Wenzel who has believed in Zunino for years and quickly determined that Zunino was the perfect fit for Slew’s Tiz Whiz.

Zunino has been exceptionally grateful to Wenzel for the opportunities he has given him to ride several of the top horses in the Northwest so getting to ride for Wenzel one more time was important to Zunino.

The day began with the 1st race being the Jose Zunino retirement purse and the entire jock’s room emptied to be part of the Winner’s Circle ceremonies. Zunino was not in that race as only 4 starters were set to run over the sloppy track which was won by race favorite The Lair with apprentice Manuel Americano.

Zunino was interviewed by Emerald Downs’ Joe Withee and took congratualtions from his fellow riders, trainers, owners, valets and fans all around the winners circle.

During Withee’s interview Zunino was joined by his long time valet Al Padilla who broke down while thanking Zunino for the 19 or more years they spent together at the Auburn oval.

Zunino, a native of Argentina arrived in the United States in 2004 and began riding in New Mexico. Zunino first came to the Northwest riding at Portland Meadows in October of 2004. Zunino got his 1st win at Portland aboard 6-1 Wine at Dawn and came from 8th place in a 5 furlong dash to cement his riding style as a come from behind rider. Wine at Dawn was trained by Michael Jones and owned by Henry Gott.

Zunino then came to Emerald Downs in the Spring of 2005 and would ride 19 of 20 straight seasons in Auburn missing only 2008 due to an injury. He got his 1st Emerald win aboard Coulee Miss the 4-5 odds on favorite winning easily by nearly 2 lengths in a 6 furlong run. Miss Coulee was trained by David Duke and owned by Eugene Hammersmith.

Link to Zunino’s 1st ever win at Emerald Downs chart on Coulee Mist

Zunino would get his 1st Stakes win aboard the speedy Hollywood Harbor in the Northwest Stallion Strong Ruler Stakes on July 18, 2009. Trainer Chris Stenslie gave Zunino the ride for owners The One Horse Will Do Corporation. Hollywood Harbor and Zunino were the 1-1 favorites and quickly took a 4 length win and won by 5 lengths in the 5 1/2 furlong dash in a brilliant time of 1:03.60.

Link to Zunino’s 1st career Stakes chart win at Emerald Downs on Hollywood Harbor

Zunino also road Hollywood Harbor to a world record still time in 5 1/2 furlongs of 1:00.87 which still stands today in an allowance race on April 22, 2012. The legend of Hollywood Harbor led to the owner of Hollywood Harbor, Jody Peetze, to sponsor a sprint series this pas season for extra purse money aimed at the claiming sprinters at Emerald Downs. You can see that recored setting performance at the bottom of this post.

Zunino would finish his American career riding in 8,150 races winning 978, placing 1,139 and showing 1,1311 times. This is a 12% career win rate, 26% exacta finish and 42% top 3 finish. Zunino racked up just shy of 10-million dollars in earnings for a total of $9,976,850.

Zunino earned more than $100,000 while riding Hollywood Harbor, Our Lyla Grace both at 112k and 155k on O B Harbor. But his career horse was Slew’s Tiz Whiz. Zunino earned $314,647 riding Slew for trainer Tom Wenzel and breeder/owner Karl and Darlyne Kreig of Oak Harbor and then more recent owners Slew’s Racing Crew.

Slew’s Tiz Whiz has made 24 career starts and currently is 9-5-4. Zunino didn’t get 0n Slew until his 4th career start on July 8th, 2021. And although they placed 4th an immediate bond was there between Slew and Zunino. Zunino started 21 times in Slew’s saddle with an 8-5-4 top 3 finish, 3 4th’s and a 5th never placing worse than 5th.

The pair ran in 13 stakes races and won 5 of them, placed 2nd 3 times, 3rd 3 times and 2 4th place finishes for a 100% on the board Stakes record. They ran in the Longacres Mile 3 times winning it in 2022 and placing 3rd in both 2023 and 2024.

Link to Slew’s Tiz Whiz Longacres Mile Championship Stakes Chart

Yes, it would have been a fairy tale finish for Jose to get to ride Slew in his final race of his career and of course if he could have won would have been the dream come true. But it was not to be when the track came up sloppy on closing day Wenzel scratched Slew because he is not a great off-track runner. Zunino agreed. Zunino said it is more important to protect him and he knew that morning before it was official that Slew was going to be scratched. In fact Zunino said he figured it was going to happen on Saturday when that rain swell rolled through drenching the track to the point they couldn’t even run the final 2 races on Saturday.

However, plan B was in place as Zunino had 2 mounts lined up for closing day and he was aboard A Skip in the Park also trained by Wenzel for owners the Round Table Stable, a long time client of Wenzel. The final ride was set for the 5th and it would be a 1 mile run.

A Skip in the Park was bet down to 1-1 favoritism and had Zunino’s preferred running style closing from well off the pace. When the gates opened for the final time for Zunino he went straight to the back of the pack of 6. Zunino allowed the speed to run on while he saved ground on the rail. Heading into the turn Zunino began to get after Skip and they closed a lot of ground on the rail before swinging to the outside for the stretch run and rolled over the top of them all to the roar of the large closing day crowd with everyone rooting for Zunino to go out on top. Zunino and A Skip in the Park did not disappoint pulling out to a 1 1/4 win.

Jose Zunino finishes his career with a win

Link to Zunino’s final win chart with A Skip in the Park

When Jose and Skip returned to the Winner’s Circle the crowd was energized and emotions were high because even though it wasn’t Slew, ending your career with a win in the style you were known for and the style you won your biggest race of your career with was indeed a fairytale finish. And with the final snap of the camera from track photographer Reed Palmer, and the hugging and tears it finally settled in and Jose smiled to the crowd, waved and thanked everyone ending his career like he did it every day he saddled up with class, respect, dignity and always a smile on his face.

Jose Zunino will not be inducted into a National Hall of Fame, 99% of all horse fans probably don’t even know him. But Zunino rode with professionalism that all young riders should hope to do. He was always excited and happy to win but he also was excited and happy for other riders, trainers and owners for winning their big races. The sheer joy of his chosen profession was evident everytime you crossed paths with Jose.

Jose Zunino is one of the big reasons why fans in the NW come to the track and they come to the track better than 95% of all the other tracks in the country. The NW has always been special to the sport. Summertime is horse racing time and has been for 91 years and regular riders like Jose Zunino were always there. Many would wonder why such a fuss over a 12% career win rider, a guy who had some success but never dominated. The answer to that is because that is where the heart of horse racing lives. Jockeys, trainers and small owners grinding it out year after year with all the loyalty you want from a best friend.

Jose Zunino was one of the greatest riders to ever ride at Emerald Downs and in fact in Washington state history not because of his win-place -show record but because of him and we all recognize those PNW lifers that have molded and made the nearly 100 years of racing history here in our little corner of the world so memorable. Jose is the epitome of those who participate or simply love the sport in Washington State.

Zunino says he is going to stay away from racing for a little while so he is not tempted to get back in the saddle. He told us he knows it’s time to retire his boots and looks forward to returning to the races when that itch to compete has been finally scratched for the last time.

We all have been blessed to have been able to witness the majority of Zunino’s career right here at the Auburn oval. You know there is still a lot of folks who miss the old days of Longacres and the memories and history of the Renton oval. But halfway thorugh this season it’s hard to believe but Emerald Downs is now officially half as old as Longacres was when they closed after 59 years.

Emerald is no longer the new track it is the only track and the history being made here is as important as the history of all the other tracks in the Pacific NW that came before Emerald opened in 1996. This makes the retirement of such longtime local horsemen who never competed at those other tracks or for just a short time all the more important. This is why Jose Zunino’s career is so important and he did it the right way. Cheers Jose, Thank-you for the years of your effort, kindness and class. This is why we celebrate great people like Jose Zunino.

We had a chance to talk with a lot of folks about Jose including Jose himself. Check out all the comments below. Also replays of his final race and the 2022 Longacres Mile win.

ESN talks with Jose Zunino on Retirement