Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have announced their 2010 stakes schedules, which will include over
$4.2 million in purse money.
The schedule includes several major changes, including the addition of the Bettors Delight Pace for older pacers with a purse of $200,000 (est.), plus the tracks have increased the purse of the three other events for older horses as well to around $200,000 (est).
The tracks have also added the Simpson Stakes, formerly held at the Red Mile with the three-year-olds in mid-May as a prep for some of the major three-year-old stakes, and the two-year-olds in mid-October as a prep for the Lexington races a week later. One of the other changes is that the State Fair Races will be held in one weekend, with the two-year-olds racing at Vernon for the first time, and the three-year-olds at Tioga. Lastly, the Kindergarten Series has been changed to only include the two-year-old trotters, reduced the number of legs to four, and increased the purse for the final to $125,000 (est.).
Kicking off the 2010 stakes season will be the John F. Simpson Memorial stakes for two and three-year-old pacers and trotters. The Simpson stakes were originally named the Hanover-Hempt Stakes, which were renamed in 1993 to honour Hall of Fame horsemen John F. Simpson, Sr. Each division of the Simpson Stakes is named after a famous stallion bred by Hanover Shoe Farms. The Simpson stakes will return to Vernon Downs, where the race held its longest tenure from 1974-1996, on Saturday, May 15 with divisions of the three-year-old trotters. The three-year-old pacers will race at Tioga Downs on Sunday, May 16. All two-year-olds will race later in the year at Vernon Downs on October 7 and 8.
Following the Simpson Stakes will be the third edition of the Empire Breeders Classic, a race for New York-bred three-year-old pacers and trotters. The $250,000 (est.) finals for the three-year-old pacers will be held at Tioga Downs on Sunday, May 30 and followed at Vernon Downs on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 with the $250,000 (est.) finals for the three-year-old trotters. The EBC shows off the best New York has to offer a week before the three-year-old New York Sire Stakes schedule starts.
Up next is the fifth edition of the $200,000 (est.) Artiscape open mare pace at Tioga Downs. The Artiscape is set to go forth on Sunday, June 6. Tug River Princess won last year’s edition in 1:52.1, where the entire field was only separated by three lengths.
The following week at Tioga Downs is the second new edition to the 2010 stakes schedule. The $200,000 (est.) Bettors Delight 'Bred in New York to Take on the World' open pace will go forward on Sunday, June 13. The addition of an open pace completes the set of four races Tioga and Vernon Downs offer to older horses of each sex and gait to help keep the standardbred industry's stars racing past their three-year-old seasons.
July 15, 16 and 18 will mark the return of the Grand Circuit to Tioga Downs in the form of the Tompkins-Geers Stakes. Five hundred thousand dollars (est.) will be up for grabs for the sport's top two and three-year-old pacers and trotters in its fourth year at Tioga.
Next up will be the Kindergarten Trotting Classic for two-year-olds. The 'Classic' will offer four guaranteed $10,000 legs, the first of which will be run at the Meadowlands on July 21 and 22. The three remaining legs will be run at Vernon Downs and take place on Friday, August 20, Friday, September 10 and Friday, September 17. The $125,000 (est.) final for each sex is scheduled for Friday, September 24 at Vernon Downs.
Friday, July 30 will round out the month with the first leg of the Miss Versatility at the mile-sized Meadowlands. The Miss Versatility showcases the 'versatility' of the sport's top open mare trotters, as they will have to race over four different-sized surfaces in order to claim the title of Miss Versatility. The second leg is held at the five-eighths of a mile-sized Tioga Downs on Sunday, August 22, followed by the third leg at seven-eighths of a mile-sized Vernon Downs on Thursday, September 2. The $150,000 (est.) final will be raced over the famous half mile oval at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on the same day as the Little Brown Jug.
Kicking off the stakes schedule in August will be the fourth annual Drivers' Challenge held at Tioga Downs on Sunday 1. The challenge puts the top seven money winning drivers, the top driver at Tioga Downs, and a sponsor’s exemption in seven to nine overnight races to see who comes out on top as the Tioga Downs Drivers' Challenge champion. Jason Bartlett took home the 2009 edition, as he held off Ron Pierce in the five-eighths mile dash-for-the-cash to take home the $25,000 grand prize. Yannick Gingras and Brian Sears co-owned the title in 2007, with Gingras taking home the title outright in 2008.
The New York State Fair will come to town next, kicking off at Vernon Downs on Thursday, August 12 and Friday, August 13 with the two-year-old pacers and trotters. The three-year-old pacers and trotters will follow on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 at Tioga Downs.
Rounding out the August schedule will be the 36th running of the $300,000 (est.) Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial trot for three-year-old colt and filly trotters. The race is set to go forward on Sunday, August 29 at Tioga Downs -- the first time it has been run in late August. This will mark the fifth year of the Zweig at Tioga.
Friday, September 10 will mark the day for the $200,000 (est.) Conway Hall open mare trot. The following week, Friday, September 17 at Vernon Downs marks the fourth edition of the $200,000 (est.) Credit Winner open trot. Arch Madness captured last year’s trophy with a quick 1:52.4 score with Brian Sears in the sulky.
Vernon Downs will open up its 90-day meet on Friday, April 16 at 6:55 p.m. Vernon will race Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout the meet at 6:55 p.m. with special 1:15 p.m. cards on Monday, July 5 and Monday, September 6.
Tioga Downs will kick off its meet on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday, May 1 at 6:50 p.m. Tioga will race Fridays and Saturdays at 6:50 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Tioga also has six special cards scheduled during the meet. Tioga will go with a special 6:30 p.m. first-race post on Sunday, May 30, as well as Sunday, July 4. Two Monday and two Wednesday cards -- with 1:30 p.m. posts -- are also scheduled during the 2010 season.
(Tioga/Vernon)