Harness racing is coming to Delray Beach, Florida this Saturday with the $25,000 Sunshine Stakes for two and three-year-old trotters and pacers. The races will be held at the Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Village on Route 7/441 beginning at 11 a.m.

There is free admission and parking, arts and crafts and equine product vendors, food trucks, pony rides and other activities for children. There is also a special celebrity harness race featuring Florida State senators Maria Sachs, Joseph Abruzzo, Mazda professional car racing sensation Tristan Nunez and TV12 Sports Director Matt Lincoln. They will compete in a one mile race in double-seating jogging carts with a trainer.

On the one-mile racetrack there will be eight Sunshine Stakes events. Featured will be the 2014 debut of Markie, a three-year-old trotting filly who last year won seven of her 11 starts for owner/breeders Kim and Jay Sears of Osteen. Markie is sired by Proud Bushy and last season earned $57,700 while dominating her class and closed out the 2013 season with three straight wins.

Other standouts include Tom Audley’s Gold Star Jessica, a $46,000 winner who heads the three-year-old pacing filly ranks and Tough Issue, a three-year-old pacing gelding that has won $64,000 for trainer Mike Deters of Coconut Creek.

All four of the two-year-old races for trotters and pacers feature first-time starters. The last time there was racing at Sunshine Meadows was back in 1998.

Everyone is reminded to bring their lawn chairs as there is no seating at Sunshine Meadows. In the event of a rain cancellation the races will be moved to Sunday. The second leg of the series will also be held at Sunshine Meadows on Saturday, September 20. The Sunshine Stakes are sponsored by the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association.

(Sunshine Beach Equestrian Center)