The 2018 racing season gets underway at Plainridge Park Casino on Monday (April 16) with a projected purse range from $4,000 to $18,000 for overnight events. Plainridge Park Casino and the Harness Horsemen’s Association of New England have developed a number of special events designed to enhance participation at the Massachusetts track during the upcoming meet.

An integral part of the package will feature a return to the variety of claiming series that were a staple at Plainridge during the early 2000’s. Ten different claiming events are planned, each three weeks in length. Starting with a series for $5,000 claimers in early May and escalating in price throughout the season, the finals for these events will range from $7,500 up to $25,000. There will also be two separate claiming series each for pacing mares and for trotters.

Recognizing the substantial investment in young horses, at least three different series for non-winners of two races or $15,000 lifetime will be conducted during the month of May. Contested for legs of $12,500 and $20,000, finals these events will be written for three- and four-year-old pacing horses, mares and trotters. Should sufficient entries allow, the trotters will be divided by gender. There are also a pair of Open events for two-year-old pacers and trotters planned during the late summer which will each compete for a $20,000 final.

Three more series are scheduled for older pacing horses, pacing mares and trotters that were non-winners of $35,000 in 2017. Contested over a period of three weeks, these events will race for $10,000 in each of the legs and $20,000 in each final.

There are no nominations or fees required for any of these series. Each will close with the draw for the first leg of the respective series. A fully detailed schedule of these events will be posted on the Plainridge website in the near future.

Plainridge Park will race Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in April with a 4:00 p.m. post time.

(Plainridge)