The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association and The Meadows Racetrack & Casino will host a special night of racing this Friday, January 30. The second annual Night of Champions will have a first-race post of 6:55 p.m.
Activity will begin nearly an hour earlier, at 6 p.m., when Dave Palone and Ron Burke will be in the track’s racebook area for a 30-minute ‘meet and greet.’ Fans will get a chance to meet the record-setting duo, as Palone recently became the world’s winningest driver, surpassing Germany’s Heinz Wewering, and Burke is coming off a record season which saw his horses earn more than any other trainer – Standardbred or Thoroughbred – in North American racing history.
Fans will receive a limited edition poster of a painting by renowned equine artist Thomas Allen Pauly commemorating Palone’s record-setting drive at The Meadows, courtesy of the track, as well as travel coffee mugs honouring the accomplishments of Palone and Burke, courtesy of the MSOA, while supplies last.
The night will also honour the horses that earned top honours in the MSOA’s annual Horse of the Year balloting for 2014. Twelve horses and their respective owner/trainer connections will be honoured, with a race named in their honour during the 12-race card. Video features will also be shown on the Meadows Live! television broadcast and on the track’s in-house big screen.
The 6:55 p.m. Night of Champions post represents The Meadows’ first night card of the 2015 season. Night racing will take place on the final Friday of each month through May.
For a full 2015 racing schedule, visit themsoa.com.
(MSOA)