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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

MR - NYSS COUNTY FAIR FINALS ON TAP ON THURSDAY AT MONTICELLO

County fair racing has always been an integral part of harness racing and although not as prominent as it was prior to pari-mutuel betting  still  the county fairs continue to be the backbone of the industry.

In recent years the sire stakes programs in various states have  been a boon to county fair racing. Purses are in the thousands now as compared to the hundreds prior to the sire stakes programs.
On Thursday, August 30  the Finals in the New York County Fair Sire Stakes program will be presented at Monticello Raceway. Four $10,000 purses are in the offing, one each for 2-year-old pacers and trotters and one each for 3-year-olds on both gaits. Only the leading point earners in each division are eligible to compete.

They’ll go as races five, six, eight and nine on the 14-race card that afternoon.
Darron Hall, with a seasonal record of 2:00.3 at Tioga Downs will get  good backing in the  3-year-old Trot Final. Owned, trained, and driven by Harold Smith the Cash Hall-Highwaytoheaven  gelding will start from post  three in race five. 

River Rising, a 1:55.3 qualifying race winner at  Vernon Downs on  August 24th, will lead the parade  in the  2 Year Old Pace Final. Owned by Andy Gardner the Riverboat King-Ashlee Lyn filly  will leave from post six in race six with Chris Lems aboard.
In the sophomore pace, Ocean Mist, a 1:53.1 winner at Tioga Downs on July 10th will carry the favorites roll into that contest, race eight on the card. The Artiscape-Spring Mist gelding is owned, trained and will be driven by Truman Gale when he starts  from post three.

A final NYCFSS will feature  freshman trotters. Ashes Cash, a Cash Hall-Ashameg colt with eight wins in nine starts will be the one to beat.   He sports a record of 2:02.1 taken at Vernon Downs  and will start from post position  four in race  nine with Harold Smith at the controls.
First race post time will be at 12:50pm