At 94, Meeking hasn't lost his sense of humor
After missing 2021 while dealing with treatment for colon cancer, Bob Meeking is back at work training horses at Emerald Downs. Meeking, who turns 94 on June 6, currently has nine horses in training, but he is planning to send a few home.
“When they work a half mile in 52 [seconds] and come back smiling, it is hard to see them winning many races,” he said. “Since I own them it would not be a good investment keeping them at the track. They can laugh at me at the farm instead.”
He was referring to his 60-acre farm in Poulsbo, Wash., which he owns with his wife, Barbara.
“We have 100 goats, which doesn’t include some of the horses we own,” he said.
Despite the tough battle with cancer last year, Meeking is going strong and still has a great sense of humor.
“I have no idea if I am clear of cancer or not,” he said. “It doesn’t matter anyway. The doctor said with treatment I would live an extra two years, and without it, 24 months. I am feeling good now, though, and happy to be back at the track. I just hope I can last long enough to saddle Emerald Sea on Sunday.”
Meeking has Emerald Sea entered in a $10,000 starter race for fillies and mares. The 4-year-old daughter of Tizbud is the consensus pick in Daily Racing Form. However, Meeking doesn’t like her chances in the five and one-half furlong dash, which drew six horses and goes as race 7 on a nine-race card that begins at 2:15 p.m. Pacific.
“I think she is a good miler and I needed to get a race into her,” he said. “She is training well, though, so she should run okay. She is honest, too, so she will try.“
Emerald Sea won an $8,000 maiden claimer in her third start as a 2-year-old for Meeking. Racing for trainer Rigoberto Velasquez, she closed out 2021 with back-to-back wins going a mile in a $5,000 claimer for nonwinners of two July 29 and an $8,000 claiming race for nonwinners of three Sept. 2.
Meeking won with the only horse he has started at the meet, Wheel Rally, who went gate to wire in a $25,000 claimer May 22. Because of the win Meeking was named Trainer of the Week at Emerald.
Meeking was born in Victoria, British Columbia, and saddled his first horse at Lansdowne Park in Richmond, B.C.
“You get lucky sometimes,” he said referring to Wheel Rally. “I could have done something else but I have been lucky to be in a business since I was 17 that made me fabulously wealthy,” he said tongue in cheek.
Emerald Sea will break from post 5 with Leslie Mawing riding. With a little luck, she could win what appears to be a wide-open event.