GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Horse racing at the Grants Pass Downs officially kicked off Sunday, June 19th.
After Dutch Bros Co-Founder Travis Boersma indicated he wouldn’t financially support it this year when the state’s racing commission declined his gaming efforts at the Flying Lark.
It seemed like there wouldn’t be any horse racing happening this year. Until the Southern Oregon Horse Racing Association stepped in to bring racing back to the Downs. Racers were happy to be back in town to compete.
“Just coming back and being with the trainers and everybody makes you feel like you’re at home, and everybody here is basically family so we all get along good and the environment here is amazing,” said Jaime Lopez, one of the Jockeys at the race.
Organizers say the race exceeded expectations with the stands packed with cheering fans. They say they have high hopes for the rest of the events to come.
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