Looking ahead to an exciting season featuring the Breeders Crown, Pocono Downs has announced its 2013 racing schedule.

Opening night will be Saturday, March 23, and it will kick off the Northeast PA track’s 48th racing season. With a first-race post time of 6:30 p.m., racing will take place on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday for the months of March through May. A special double-heading of live racing will be featured on Kentucky Derby day, May 4, with the first Post Time of 11:00 a.m., and the second immediately following the 139 running of the prestigious race.

In June and July, racing moves to five nights a week, with a first-race post time of 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. A special earlier post of 3:30 p.m. on Fridays is a new addition to the race card.

“We are really excited to offer this earlier post for our fans”, said Dale Rapson, the track's vice president of Racing Operations. “We will offer the 3:30 p.m. Friday post for the two summer months, and again in September through closing in November, hoping to fill the void in between day tracks and night tracks. This will open up Pocono to new fans who may not have had the chance to watch and wager before, due to conflicts with other tracks. Plus, finishing our card earlier on Fridays gives fans a chance to enjoy an evening out after racing, whether they head out for a late dinner, or even high school football games in the fall.”

The Breeders Crown will be held on one night, Saturday, October 19. Eliminations for the tremendous night of racing will be held on October 12. Pocono Downs hosted the Breeders Crown in 2010, and welcomed nearly 10,000 fans to a historic night of world-class racing.

Racing in August through November 16 will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday with the early post, and Saturday. A total of 140 race days is scheduled. The track will be closed the weekend of September 13 and 14 for the PA Oktoberfest.

(Pocono)