Da Goat Holds Court at Emerald Downs on Independence Day

I spent my 4th of July at Emerald Downs, where I met up with friends new and old. In addition to the fedora sporting trainer Grant Forster, the Seattle area race track is home turf for Dougie, aka Da Goat, and the racing venue is immeasurably more entertaining for his presence. The aspiring racing media magnet has more energy than a caffeinated gamecock on the cusp of a championship bout. There's no venom here, though. Sheepish this goat is not, but his lovable, lay-it-all-out-on-the-table honesty is refreshing in compare with the darkly jaded or the hyperbolically boastful types you more often encounter trackside. Anyone who loves this game, and can keep up, should spend an afternoon of the races with Doug. I know of no one whose passion for the game exceeds his.