Scioto Downs will kick off its 56th year of harness racing on Tuesday, May 5 at 2 p.m.

Live racing will continue Wednesday through Saturday with a 6:30 p.m. first-race post time. The 2 p.m. Tuesday post time is not the only thing new for the 2015 racing season.

New on the wagering front for the 2015 live racing season, Scioto Downs is adding a Pick-5 wager. The wager, which carries a 50-cent minimum, will be held on the final five races of each race card. If no one successfully selects the winners of the last five races on the card, then 75 per cent of the net pool will carry over to the next racing program.

“Given the large and competitive fields our race office puts together on a nightly basis, I believe this wager should carry over quite often,” noted Mutuel Director Steve Carpenito. “That should create added value for our loyal players.”

The only other change to the wagering format involves moving the highly-popular 10-cent Super High Five wager to the tenth race of each program. Last season, the first for the wager, it was offered on the ninth race.

Stakes action is back this summer in full force starting on Saturday, June 6 (Belmont Day), when the live racing card will feature the best older trotters in the Charlie Hill Memorial for a purse of $200,000.

Another day not to miss is Saturday, July 18 when Scioto will go ‘Back to the Track.’ The promotion is a great time to introduce new fans to the wonderful world of harness racing and take advantage of some great giveaways and special offers. Be sure to check out the track’s website and Facebook page for great offers and complete details.

In August, the excitement will continue with the Ohio State Fair and Ohio Breeders Stakes for two and three-year-old Ohio-breds.

To cap off the track’s electrifying season on September 12, Scioto Downs will host Ohio Super Night. The best two and three-year-olds in their respective gaits will battle it out for a share of $225,000 in each of eight Ohio Sire Stakes finals. Super Night will also feature the Jim Ewart Memorial Invitational Pace for a bounty of $200,000 (est.). While the purses on the night will total a minimum of $2.1 million, it’s guaranteed to be a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat evening and a night you will not want to miss.

(Scioto Downs)