VD7/8 - Closing Weekend at Vernon Downs

Extended by a weekend as a result of the dates lost to the EHV quarantine in May, the 2013 live racing season at Vernon Downs comes to a close with the upcoming Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9 cards.

Racing Secretary Scott Warren has listed the year's final open pace and trot to go on Saturday night, which also features a coffee mug giveaway and the customary fireworks show to close out the season.

Post time on Friday will be the standard 6:45pm with Saturday's races beginning at 6:00pm.

Check the Vernon website for further details.

MR - HERITAGE DRIVERS SERIES PRELIMS ENDS WITH THE MAPLE LEAF MILE ON NOV. 20

The final preliminary event in Monticello Raceway’s year-long Heritage Drivers Series will be presented on Wednesday afternoon, November 20 with the Maple Leaf Mile, a race that features drivers of Canadian descent. The winner of that race will join the winners of  the seven other prelims in the series finale in early December , dubbed the All-American Pace..

Currently the raceway’s director of racing, Eric Warner, is in the process of seeking drivers of  Canadian descent  to compete in the Maple Leaf  Mile.

“We have quite of few drivers of Canadian heritage currently racing with us but we will need eight in order to have a full field,” Warner said.

Among the drivers of Canadian heritage currently racing here of whom Warner was referring to is last year’s champ, Jimmy Devaux ,along with Jacques Primeau, Terry Finch,  and Jimmy Doherty Jr.

Last year Devaux drove Gate Keeper to a 2:02.4 trotting victory in  the Maple Leaf Mile.

In recent weeks, two Canadians, Jason Ryan and Aaron Byron, have joined  our  driving colony and will  be good editions to the Maple Leaf  Mile  if they are available on November 20.   

Any driver of Canadian descent interested in competing in the Maple Leaf Mile is asked to please contact Warner in the racing office at 845-794-4100 ext. 557. Or they can call our publicity office at ext. 455.

M1 - Meadowlands Offers Preview Night to Horsemen

East Rutherford - On Thursday November 21^st, Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will be offering a night for owners, trainers and drivers to preview the new facility at The Meadowlands with a qualifying run.  Qualifiers will be held with a post time of 6:00 P.M., but they are a part of an evening that offers much more than a cozy seat to watch the qualifying races.  The Meadowlands will offer a prix fixe complimentary dinner at one of its dining locations, “Pink,” from 5:00 through 9:00 P.M.  Invitations are being sent out this week and we ask that those interested respond as soon as possible to Andrea Hanley at (201) 460-4214 or at AHanley@NewMRacing.com.  Space for the event will be limited to 250 guests.  All who plan to attend are encouraged to bring their spouses and children to the event.

Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will open the doors to its new facility for simulcasting beginning Monday, November 11^th.  There will be qualifying races on Thursday evening, November 14^th with a post time of 7:15 P.M.  These qualifiers are open to the public and anyone is welcome to come and watch the first qualifiers raced out of the new facility.