By Al Camp
Chronicle staff

     A World-Famous Suicide Race runoff appears to be in the making with owners of 25 horses paying to enter this year.
     The second week of practices concluded with the closing of entries to the race, which will be held after each performance of the Omak Stampede Aug. 7-10.
     Race officials listed 31 horses as potential entries in the race, with 25 having their fees paid as of Sunday evening and 18 having passed all tests. Several of those testing the hill and river were either scratched or were there for the practices only, said race officials.
     Final testing will be held 7-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, and 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.
     If more than 20 of the 25 paid entries pass veterinarian, swim and hill tests there will be runoff races at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3. The course can be viewed from Suicide Hill or East Side Park in Omak.
     Prize money will include $500 for each race, with all horses required to run in the races.
     If 20 or fewer horses complete testing, there will be a practice race at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3.
     There will be $500 added for the practice run, with the winner taking it all.
     The practice race is at the owners’ discretion and entered horses are not required to run in the practice race, say race officials.
     Race practices last weekend saw a couple jockeys crunched while horses looked strong.
     Jay Pakootas took a tumble from his horse and suffered a concussion Friday night while going to the top of the Suicide Hill. Pakootas said one minute he was riding and the next minute someone was asking him what occurred.
     He said it was not his first concussion. Another took five years to heal, he said.
     By Sunday, several owners opted to drive their horses to the starting area rather than ride them across the Hwy. 97 bridge with an escort.
     Jeff Ford took a header off his horse, YaYa, on Sunday evening. He was taken by LifeLine Ambulance to Mid-Valley Hospital, Omak, for a possible broken shoulder.
     The horse had passed vet and swim tests. It was coming down the hill at a normal, good pace when Ford got too high in the saddle and tumbled down the hill. After hitting hard on his right side Ford rolled and fell on his face before sliding to the bottom of the hill.
     No horses appeared threatened by the river, which continues to come down. Except for a short hole at the end of the hill, the horses were able to get their footing quickly.
     Horses paid and passing all three tests to enter (with jockey name):
     Bodacious, Tyler Peasley.
     Clever, Rich Gottfriedson.
     Coyote Dillon, Duran Marchand.
     Diego, Steven Ford.
     Dozer, Tyler Peasley.
     Forgiven Affair, Eddie Seyler.
     Gambler, Jimmy Marchand.
     Hurk, Oliver Pakootas/Kerry Carden.
     J-31, Montana Pakootas.
     Morgan, Bryce Curry.
     Patch, Aaron Carden.
     Rawhide, Louis Zacherle.
     Red A, Ralph Moses/Marty Stanley.
     River Boy, Kevin LaCourse/Henry LaCourse.
     Skar Tar, Ryan Cate.
     Skookum, Ralph Moses.
     Soldier Boy, Glen James.
     Thor, Tyler Peasley.
     Horses paid but needing to pass a hill test include:
     Marvin, Leroy Abrahamson.
     Those requiring a hill and swim test include:
     Dave, Casey Nissen.
     Commando, Abe Grunlose.
     Party Boy, Louis Zacherle.
     Sinbad, no jockey listed
     Taz, Loren Marchand.
     Horse requiring all three tests:
     Buckskin Tamarack, no jockey listed.