The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association will be hosting several special events as part of Back To The Track weekend, July 5-6 at The Meadows.

Throughout the weekend there will be pony rides, a petting zoo, an inflatable fun house, balloon and airbrush artists and ice cream for the kids.

For kids of all ages there will be paddock tours, jog cart rides, a driver dunk tank, driver meet and greets, the MSOA prize wheel, and a horse meet and greet.

A new contest will also be held on Saturday, one geared toward getting harness racing fans interested in horse ownership. The “Owner For A Week” contest will give one lucky fan a chance to meet a trainer, go behind the scenes with a visit to the barn during his or her week as an owner, daily updates from the trainer, and a chance to bring family and friends on race day. If the horse earns money, so does the contest winner, with a top prize of $200 for first, with a smaller prize for each position down to fifth, just like the owners receive.

This week, Tim Twaddle, an MSOA Director, will open his stable to the contest winner. Other trainers will be featured in future weeks of the contest.

All of the events and contests are free to participate and enter.

Also featured throughout the weekend will be free tip sheets from The Professor, the MSOA’s official handicapper. The Professor’s Picks have proven to be popular throughout the summer, as fans are given insight into the day’s races from a veteran handicapper that keeps a close eye on all Meadows races.

The Professor’s Longshot Specials have cashed in on several occasions, including a top price of 30-1 recently, and a nose loss on a 46-1 shot, proving that not all handicappers give out just the favourites!

Post time on both Friday and Saturday nights will be 6:55 P.M.

(MSOA)