The 2024 live harness racing season in British Columbia will kick off at Fraser Downs on Thursday evening, Feb. 8. 

The meet will commence with two seven-race programs on Thursday and Friday after a week delay due to recent weather in the region that had impacted training. Post time each night is 7 p.m.

"After the recent challenges posed by the weather in B.C., we’re thrilled to be getting back to racing,” said Dawn Lupul, Manager of Racing and Communications at Fraser Downs.

Mystic Shadow headlines Thursday's featured $8,500 fillies and mares claiming-conditioned pace, returning to action off an eight-week layoff for trainer and co-owner Nelson Craig. The seven-year-old Shadow Play mare had a productive end to the fall Fraser meet, with a victory in this class and a top three finish against Preferred distaffers. A 10-time winner with a six-figure bankroll, Mystic Shadow will be reunited with regular reinsman Brad Watt for her season's debut facing four others as the 9-5 morning line favourite from post four.

Preferred pacers will close out the first week of racing in Friday night's $10,000 featured finale. A nine-time winner at the fall meet, Sunshine Boy will kick off his six-year-old campaign as the 2-1 favourite for trainer and co-owner Jim Marino. Scott Knight will drive the Sunshine Beach gelding, a winner of 23 races and nearly $250,000, from post seven while facing seven others, including familiar foes Itll Be Fine and Mach Steady, who topped the trio in a 1:57.2 qualifying win over a 'good' track last Friday.

Longtime trainer Gord Abbott will be aiming for a milestone victory when racing resumes as he sits on the verge of 1,000 career wins. The Surrey, B.C. horseman will send out two starters over the first two race days for owners Seaspray Stables, with son John driving four-year-old mare Crown Princess on Thursday and three-year-old pacing gelding McMoney on Friday.

Racing action at Fraser Downs returns with some new offers on the wagering front for horseplayers. Starting on Thursday, the Double will have a new $2 minimum bet, providing the opportunity to increase the payouts on the pool. Additionally, the track will be adding a late Double on the last two races of the program. Fraser Downs has a low 15 per cent takeout on the Double and various bet types including Win, Place, Show, Hi 5, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5.

Horseplayers can also take advantage of wagering offers available on the leading betting platforms such as HPIbet, 1/ST Bet - Xpressbet and Twinspires. These offers include enticing incentives such as 10 per cent cashback; bet $100, get $10; and 25 per cent win bonuses.

Racing enthusiasts can catch all the action via high-definition broadcasts through Roberts Communication Network and YouTube Live @FraserDowns_Surrey.

Fraser Downs will host live racing two nights a week, mostly on Thursdays and Fridays, through April 26 with post time at 7 p.m. After that, racing will return in September and continue through the end of the year. To view Fraser Downs' full 2024 race date calendar, click here.

To view complete harness racing entries for Fraser Downs' opening week, click the following links:

Thursday Entries - Fraser Downs // Thursday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)

Friday Entries - Fraser Downs // Friday Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT)

(Standardbred Canada)