Lexington, KY –
Harness Racing returns to Lexington, Kentucky with the historic 143rd season at The Red Mile
beginning on Thursday, July 27. More than $7.5 million in purses will be
offered over 32 race dates concluding on Sunday, October 8.
Thursday's offering is a ten race overnight card with a
$6,200 Preferred Handicap feature pitting eight solid pacing
mares in the second race.
The
pre-Grand Circuit meet will cover 24 programs, racing live Thursday, Saturday
and Sunday through September 17 with a post time of 7:00 p.m. each night.
This
early meet will feature the enriched $2 million Kentucky Sires Stakes starting
on August 17 with the foals of 2015 now benefitting from a mare residency
policy. All purses for the three preliminary legs for two-year-olds will be
$30,000 with all finals set at $250,000.
That policy
contains language that states the resulting foals of all horses bred
during the 2014 breeding season will be eligible for nomination to the KYSS if
the horse is out of a mare, even if sired by an out-of-state stallion, that
resided in Kentucky during the year of conception for 180 consecutive days and
nominated to the fund or by a stallion that stood in Kentucky and nominated to
the fund for that breeding season.
In
addition to the change in eligibility, funding for the program has seen
significant increases largely due to the pari-mutuel tax on historical
horse racing, which is now offered at The Red Mile.
The
KYSS for three-year-olds will offer two legs for a purse of $15,000 ($10,000 divided) and
$175,000 finals. All finals will be raced on Sunday, September 17.
The Kentucky Sire Stakes
is funded by the Kentucky Standardbred Development Fund (KSDF) and the Kentucky
Standardbred Breeders’ Incentive Fund (KSBIF).
The
$5 million Grand Circuit meet consist of eight cards and will follow a Thursday
through Sunday schedule with post time at 7 p.m. on September 28, 29 & 30
then a matinee 1 p.m. post time on October 1, 5, 6. 7 & 8.
The time-honored
Bluegrass Stakes for all divisions will highlight week one. The
International Stallion Stakes will provide racing for the freshmen in week
two while closing weekend brings with it the 125th Kentucky Futurity,
Tattersalls Pace and Allerage Farms series for the FFA set.
Information
on all racing is available by calling the Racing Office at (859) 258-7670.
The Lexington Selected
Yearling Sale will featured the highly anticipated first crops of
Captaintreacherous, Father Patrick, Sweet Lou and Trixton among others along
with the top quality consignments that sell at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion
annually. The sale starts at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of Tuesday, October 3.
Information on the city of Lexington including accommodations,
dining and entertainment options is available from VisitLex.com.
