Vernon and Tioga Downs will host over $1 million worth of major stakes next weekend with the $600,000e Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial Grand Circuit stake for three-year-old trotters being raced at Vernon on Saturday, August 28 and the $500,000e Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) for New York-Sired three-year-old pacers at Tioga on Sunday, August 29.

A New York Sire Stakes event for two-year-old filly trotters is also on the Vernon Saturday card with the Zweig.

Details on these stakes are as follows;

The draw for the Zweig will be on Monday, August 23 with a box close on 9:00 a.m. The Vernon draw is done remotely and electronic entry is encouraged. Phone entries may be placed at (302) 222-1222 between 8:00 and 9:00am on draw day only. The Vernon condition sheet is available online.

The Zweig and Zweig filly stakes are raced in the multiple tier format, the top nine 2021 money winners eligible for the main events with consolations for those with lesser earnings. Conditions for the Zweig are available here.

The EBC draw will be done on Thursday, August 26 with a box close of 9:00 a.m. Electronic entry is preferred and the Race Office number is (607) 699-7688. The Tioga condition sheet will be available on Monday.

The EBC will be raced as a single dash with up to 10 entries, should more than 10 declare the stake will raced in divisions with the purse and entry fee equally split. EBC conditions are available here.

There will be no detention requirements for either stake.

Those horsemen requiring dinner reservations or hotel accommodations at either track should contact Racing Operations Manager Brett Risi at (315) 985-8717, with participants encouraged to book early.

(Vernon / Tioga)