In his glory days at Emerald Downs, Bucky B. Lucky had three wins and six second or third place finishes, earning more than $20,000.

Rescued from slaughter, Bucky B Lucky is recovering at SAFE, Save A Forgotten Equine, which provides abandoned horses with vet care, nutrition and training to prepare them for adoption. Last year they placed six horses in new homes.

At SAFE, Save A Forgotten Equine, Bucky B Lucky is learning to be a horse again, and happy to be away from the auction environment.

Bucky B Lucky is one of 15 horses at SAFE, Save A Forgotten Equine, that can be adopted. Rescuers think he would be suitable as a trail horse, or for an intermediate rider.

Most race horses in North America are required to have a lip tattoo for identification. Bucky B Lucky's tattoo helped horse rescuers discover that he is the grandson of Seattle Slew.

Portland Meadows has enacted a no-slaughter policy for racehorses, though Emerald Downs (seen here) has not. ED track managers question whether such a policy could be legally enforced.

The Enumclaw Sales Pavilion sells horses to the highest bidder. Some go to new homes, but if they can't get a high enough bid, the horses are sold for slaughter in Canada or Mexico.

Ron Mariotti, owner of the Enumclaw Sales Pavilion, believes horse slaughter should be legalized in the U.S. again. The last horse slaughterhouse in the U.S. closed in 2007.

In the bad economy, many horse owners can no longer afford to keep them, which means more horses are ending up destined for slaughter.