Northwest Farms

2007 Record: (46-12-4-5)

2007 Earnings: $359,190

2007 Win %: 26% In-The-Money %: 45%

Owner(s): Jerre Paxton
Born: 1938
Residence: Yakima, Wash.
Family: wife Deb
Professional Background: The family business is Kwik Lok Industries, a company founded by Jerre's father, Floyd, in the 1950s. Kwik Lok produces all-plastic closure clips for bags used with produce, bread, potatoes and other grocery items. The offices and production plant are located in Yakima and additional plants are in Canada, Ireland, Australia, and Japan.
Racing Background: Before entering the Thoroughbred business in 1973, he was involved with Quarter Horse racing
Breeding/Racing Operation: For more than 30 years, Northwest Farms has been a constant and major force in Washington racing and breeding ... Paxton, who was inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame in 2003, began his operation in the early 1970s when he built a stallion station and nursery on 80 acres adjacent to his company's production plant and called it Yakima Stallion Station. In 1978, he changed the name to Northwest Farms ... The first stallion to ever stand there was Canadian Gil, an unraced son of Northern Dancer ... Canadian Gil sired six stakes winners, including Sprink, the winner of the G1 Manhattan Handicap ... Next came Drum Fire, who led all Washington sires from 1982 to 1986 before he died unexpectedly in 1984 ... Drum Fire sired multiple Washington champions Flamme and Firesweeper, who competed in the 1985 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with Bill Shoemaker in the irons, plus Knights Choice, Time of Sale, and Sharper One ... The first Paxton-bred stakes winner was Determined Owl, who won the 1977 Yakima Debutante Stakes ... The farm's first champion was Knights Choice in 1978 ... Other Washington-state champions to follow were Loto Canada and Taste of Passion, the dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies contender Smarty Deb, (named for Paxton's wife) and Shampoo ... The farm's broodmare band was considered to be one of the best for a regional market and at one point grew so big that a second farm was established in Kentucky ... That property was sold to Three Chimneys Farms in the last few years ... From 1980 to the present time, Northwest Farms has set numerous Washingon records, including leading consignor at the sales, sales topper, and leading owner at Longacres, Yakima and Emerald Downs ... Paxton sells his top yearlings at Keeneland every year and sells the lesser ones at the Washington sales ... Among Paxton's best horses to race outside of Washington were Hosco (winner of 2003 G3 San Miguel Stakes), In Your Defense (winner of the Bay Meadows Oaks), Raise A Man (winner of the G2 San Felipe Handicap at age three and the G2 Malibu Stakes and the Phoenix Gold Cup at age 4) ... In ’07, Paxton's horses won eight stakes races at Emerald Downs, which is a new record ... Among those victories was Smarty Deb's triumph in the Gottstein Stakes, the first filly since 1994 and only the eighth filly in the 70-year history of the race to beat the colts ... She will be the second Breeders' Cup starter for the farm ... Doris Harwood has trained for Paxton for the past three years.