Northwest Hoof Prints

June/July 2009

Noteworthy Events and Memorials at Emerald Downs, by Duane Hamamura


Sudden freakish winds quickly swept through Emerald Downs on June 5, flipping tables and chairs and spraying trackside fans with dust and dirt. There was a slight delay in the running of the next race which was close to post time.


An eagle, who has been a regular visitor to the infield area at Emerald Downs, sits perched on a shrub during a recent race as the horses run down the backstretch at the Auburn track.


The winner's circle was overflowing with the members of the Emerald Downs racing community, who came for the Derrick Kenney Memorial race. Kenney, the son of trainer Dan Kenney (center in dark jacket) who died last December in an auto accident, was a popular figure on the backstretch, as shown by the turnout by family, friends, jockeys, trainers, grooms, gate crew, jockey agents, exercise riders, mutuel clerks and others.


Martin Pimentel shakes hands with Connie Roberts after Admire James provided the first career training win for Pimentel, longtime assistant for Craig Roberts who died in May. Pimentel had been running Roberts' stable during Roberts's illness and then took over upon the veteran conditioner's death. It was fitting that the first win was by a horse owned by longtime client Jim Riedinger (left) and the Roberts' September House Stable.


Craig Roberts In Memoriam		Ed Heinemann In Memoriam