Emerald Downs invited members of SAFE to come down to the track today and set up a table. We asked and were granted permission to bring Sunny and Shasta along for the day as well. It was the mini’s first visit to a race track, but they decided to try their luck at handicapping the races and even printed up their Hot-To-Trot pick sheet to share with other racegoers. I ponied up $10 for them to use to place their bets, and after a slow start, they managed to pick 2 winners out of 9 races and end the day with $9.20, which they promptly donated to SAFE.

Sunny, in particular, was fascinated by the race horses, and watched them closely as they came down the stretch. He even nickered and whinnied at them as they went by. Jet captured this adorable moment on video where he actually tried to take off and follow them to the finish line!

Jeannette and I were interviewed by Comcast SportNet in the paddock between races, giving us the opportunity to fill people in on Bucky B Lucky’s current training status, and also to tell everyone about Portland and the other Thoroughbreds that SAFE has helped along the way. The interview was broadcast live between race 3 and 4, and we hope to have a tape of it that we can share with those of you who weren’t watching.

A big thank you to Shelby, Anna, and Denise for helping deliver and take care of the mini horses today. The girls braided and brushed the minis and then led them around to meet their new fans. Thank you also to Lynn Mazer for spending the day with us talking about horses and taking photos for us! The visit was cut short by thunder, lightening, and a downpour of cold rain, but we enjoyed our time at the track nonetheless. Thank you to Emerald Downs for inviting us out and for supporting Bucky B Lucky!