Checking in here with our regular look at charities and other public services/events.

First up, the Northeast Equine Expo, taking place this Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park.  The equine stars of the movies Hidalgo and soon-to-be released Secretariat will perform.  Harbor Mist, who plays Secretariat, will appear with his trainer—not his racing trainer, but, of course, his acting trainer.  Rex Peterson will show how he works with horses to get them to perform on-camera.

In addition, Expo will feature dozens of breeds, continuous demonstrations of equine sports, and hundreds of vendors of horse-related equipment and gifts.  Natural Horsemen trainer Sonny Garguilo will give clinics on working through difficult equine training problems. 

Between races, The Spirit of Long Island, a precision drill team, will perform their intricate maneuvers to patriotic music; massed mounted police units from throughout Nassau County will also perform.  Other performances will include Cowboy Mounted Shooting; a polo match; jumping; dressage; and reining. 

 Tickets are $18 for one day and $25 for both days, and are available Northeast Equine Expo and at Belmont Park. Call (877) 778-EXPO or visit the website for more information. 

For those readers living upstate:  the New York Race Track Chaplaincy is joining with Pine Grove Camp in the 6^th annual golf tournament charity event.  The event takes place on June 5^th at noon at Airway Meadows Golf Club in Gansevoort; cost is $80 per person or $300 per foursome. To register, contact Joe at (518) 792-0271; for information on lodging, contact Chaplain Humberto Chavez at rtcany@aol.com. 

In other upstate news, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame has launched a blog, Racing Through History.  It’s brand new with just a few entries, a combination of news and reflections and thoughts on racing current events. 

And staying upstate:  The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is making it easy to get to the Belmont Stakes on June 4^th.  A bus will leave the Museum parking lot at 7:00 a.m. for Belmont and leave the track immediately after the last race. The members’ price of $200.00 and non-member price of $225.00 includes bus fare, admission to the grandstand and a preferred seat. Please note prices will remain the same for ticket purchases without transportation. For further information or to make a reservation, please contact Catherine Maguire at (518) 584-0400, extension 117.

And finally, Dana Byerly, of Hello Race Fans! and Green but Game is the winner of this year’s Derby league charity contest.  We’ve got a donation of $235 with one check still outstanding, and Dana has chosen Maryland’s Day’s End Farm Horse Rescue as the recipient.  Day’s End Farm was in the news recently when Thoroughbred Times reported that the rescue had taken in 26 neglected and starving horses.

Thank you to everyone who donated—your generosity is prodigious and appreciated, and it’s great to know that our collective efforts will help to take care of horses that desperately need it.