The New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) County Fair Finals will be held at Monticello Raceway on September 6, following two months of racing at 20 county fairs across New York State. This year’s series began at Goshen Historic Track on July 2, with the final race day at the Tompkins County Fair in Trumansburg on August 21. The top series point earners with at least than five starts on the season qualify for the finals. Each final carries a purse of $10,000.
The County Fair Finals will consist of eight pari-mutuel wagering races. County Fair Series races during the season are non-pari-mutuel harness races, open to eligible two and three-year-old New York Standardbreds, separated into eight divisions based on age, gender and gait. Divisions include three-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters, and two-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters.
Race entries for Thursday can be found on Monticello Raceway’s website here. Post time for the main race card is at 12:50 p.m.
A special non-wagering Racing Under Saddle (RUS) championship is also scheduled for race day featuring the top point-getters of 2018 in a field of seven. RUS is a hybrid between harness and Thoroughbred racing where riders race atop Standardbreds at a trot. RUS NY was formed in 2014 to increase interest in Standardbred racing and showcase the versatility of the Standardbred breed. The series was made possible with a $5,000 grant provided by the NYSS as initial purse money. This marks the fifth year of the series, which included eight races at seven fairs across the state.
“The New York Sire Stakes County Fair Series continues to be an important part of our state-bred program, providing young horses and people involved in the industry an opportunity to earn as they learn,” said M. Kelly Young, executive director, Agriculture & NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund. “These finals are a showcase of the people and horses who excelled this summer on what can be a rigorous and demanding county fair racing schedule and we are pleased to celebrate their accomplishments.”
The New York Sire Stakes promote the breeding, buying, and racing of Standardbred horses in New York State, and are administered by the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. A complete schedule of this summer’s races can be found at www.nysirestakes.com.
About the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund:
The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund (the Fund) is a public benefit corporation established in 1965 by the Laverne Law (Laws of New York, Chapter 567 of the Laws of 1965). The mission of the fund is to promote agriculture through the breeding of Standardbred horses and the conduct of equine research within the state. To carry out its legislative mission, the Fund administers the New York Sire Stakes races, Excelsior/State Fair Series races, and County Fair Races. Additionally, the Fund provides assistance to county agriculture societies and contributes to the statewide 4-H program and to the Harry M. Zweig Fund for Equine Research.