Elusive Horizon and Holy Nova, producers of the only stakes dead heat in track history, head the list of nominations to the $100,000 Emerald Distaff Sunday, Aug. 16.

The Distaff at 1-1/8 mile is Emerald Downs’ championship event for older fillies and mares and part of a stakes doubleheader featuring the 74th running of the $300,000 Longacres Mile.

Northwest Farms’ Elusive Horizon has blossomed into the top older filly at Emerald Downs with a lifetime record of 13-7-2-1 with $186,715 in earnings. After winning two stakes as a 3-year-old, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Elusive Quality has already matched that total as a 4-year-old. The front-running filly led gate-to-wire in a four-length victory in the King County Handicap and came back in the July 26 Boeing Handicap to finish in a dead heat with Holy Nova in 1 minute, 41-3/5 seconds for 1-1/16 mile.

Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella’s Holy Nova rallied to earn the dead heat in the Boeing, spotting Elusive Horizon five lengths before gradually closing the gap on her rival. Prior to the Boeing, no stakes in the track’s 14-year history had resulted in a dead heat. A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Pure Prize with a lifetime record of 24-13-4-1 and earnings of$378,642 Holy Nova has won races at eight different tracks including stakes at Hastings, Emerald Downs and Northlands Park.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has saddled the last two winners of the Emerald Distaff and three of the last four. This year, Hollendorfer nominated Christmas Ship, a 4-year-old Florida-bred owned in part by Seattle’s George Todaro. A Kentucky-bred by Montbrook, Christmas Ship finished second to Elusive Horizon in the 2008 Washington Oaks.

Weights will be released Saturday and the race will be drawn Aug. 12.

Nominations for the 14th running of the $100,000 Emerald Distaff, to be run Sunday, Aug. 16:

Nominee Trainer Owner

Blue Sky Holiday (4-FLA) John Snow Bell/MacLeod/Michaud

Christmas Ship (4-FLA) Jerry HollendorferAmlie/Hollendorfer/Todaro

Elusive Horizon (4-KY) Doris Harwood Northwest Farms LLC

Enumclaw Girl (4-WA) Rosie Simkins Doris Konecny

Gadget Queen (5-WA) Blaine Wright John &! ; Janene Maryanski

Heaven On Hold (4-KY) Troy Taylor Todd & Kinsella

Holy Nova (5-KY) Terry Gillihan Todd & Kinsella

Screaminleapofaith (5-WA) Valorie Lund Jim Kiser

Shezaluckypenny (5-CA) Jesus Lozano Jose Ariel B. Lozano