Longtime Washington Trainer Bonnie Jenne Dies At 76 originally appeared on Paulick Report.

The Emerald Downs racing community is mourning the loss of longtime trainer Bonnie Jenne, who succumbed to lymphoma Thursday, June 26, at age 76.

A mainstay since the track’s opening in 1996, Jenne saddled 247 winners at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., including 15 stakes victories and over $2.9 million in earnings.

“Today is a very sad day in the Washington Thoroughbred community,” said Emerald Downs Director of Publicity Joe Withee. “Bonnie Jenne has been part of every Longacres, Yakima Meadows and Emerald Downs race meeting since the late 1960s as a highly respected horsewoman. Bonnie usually took the winters off and came back every year to Barn 10 with her hard work and mischievous smile and laugh.”

Advertisement

Under Jenne’s care, Ladyledue won six stakes and honors as track and state champion filly of 2008, and track and state champion 3-year-old filly of 2009. Another top horse was Couldabenthewhisky, a triple stakes winner at Emerald Downs including the Gottstein Futurity and honored as both Emerald Downs’ and Washington champion 2-year-old colt or gelding of 2010.

Other stakes winners trained by Jenne included: Mr. Makah, winner of the 2005 Budweiser Emerald Handicap and third in the 2004 Longacres Mile, Naab the Win, Colony Lane, Makah Lane, and Itsallabouttheride.

Jenne’s final stakes victories were in 2024 with He’s Not Talking in the Washington Cup Juvenile Colt & Gelding and Dynamic Secret in the Emerald Derby. Sporting the familiar yellow and green silks that date back to the 1960s, Dynamic Secret romped by 2 3/4 lengths and subsequently took honors as Emerald Downs’ champion 3-year-old colt or gelding.

Born Dec. 30, 1948, Bonnie Jenne grew up in a house across the street from Yakima Meadows, where her father Ed Lewis won training titles in 1977 and 78.

Bonnie’s beloved husband, Wally, a former track superintendent, preceded her in death in 2020.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.