Ohio State Fair (OSF) races will be front and centre during three live racing days this week at Scioto Downs, running concurrently with the Ohio State Fair which takes place July 29-Aug. 9 at the Ohio Expo Center. 

The two-year-old trotting divisions will take place Thursday, July 29. The Ohio State Trot for colts and geldings will go off as Races 4, 5 and 10 with purses totaling $167,200 USD. The Ohio Fairs Trot for fillies totals $163,500 USD in purses, with the divisions carded as the first, seventh and 11th races.

For the first time in the history of OSF races, there will be aged events. Older mare trotters will go for $65,000 USD in the Don Millar Trot, and aged mare pacers for $67,500 in the Senator Max H. Dennis Pace on Friday. Filly Friday will also host two divisions of the State Fair Managers Pace for two-year-olds going for $161,700 USD, three divisions of three-year-olds going for $152,200 USD in the Ohio First Lady Pace, and the Pride of Ohio Trot for sophomores splitting into two divisions going for a total of $146,700 USD. 

Saturday is for the colts, with the $65,000 USD Jim Buchy Trot and the $65,000 USD Robert Schmitz Pace for older horses joining the divisions for two- and three-year-olds. The Director of Agriculture Pace for three-year-olds is split into three divisions, going for a total of $159,482 USD, as Races 5, 7 and 8. The Governors Cup for three-year-old trotters split into two divisions, Races 3 and 6, going for $147,000 USD. Two divisions of the Buckeye State Pace for two-year-old pacers will go for a combined $164,540 as Races 1 and 10.

Activities aimed at kids and families are on tap for Saturday at Scioto to create a fair environment to go along with the OSF races. Each of the following will be located near the program stand on Saturday: 

• A bounce house (also available Friday) 
• The ‘Bring the Farm to You’ petting zoo 
• ‘Paint a Horse’ station 
• ‘Name the Foal’ contest 
• Horseshoe decorating station 

The first annual Corgi Races will be held trackside with the first corgi race to be held after the first harness race. Pre-registration is required and can be done through the event created from the Eldorado Scioto Downs Facebook page. Dog check-in begins at 5 p.m. The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association will also be conducting their TV & Tickets giveaway. Patrons can enter for a chance to win one of five grand prizes, including a 55-inch TV, Roku stick, one-month subscription for RTN (to watch harness racing from tracks across North America) and tickets to a local college football game. 

(Scioto Downs)