Eight new Late Closing series have been announced which will highlight the nightly harness racing during the June and July programs of Running Aces
Harness Park’s fourth season.
A trio of series for green horses that are non-winners of one race will be contested in June, followed by similar series for non-winners of two races in July. The pacing series will be divided by sex while both genders will compete together in the trotting series. Finals for the non-winners of one series are estimated at $7,500 and the non-winners of two 2 series championships are estimated at $10,000.
Additionally, a “Claim To Fame” series will be offered in June mixing horses and geldings with a $5,000 claiming price and fillies and mares carrying $6,000 tags.
Nominators are advised that all horses will only be subject to claim in their first start in the series for the current owner. In other words, the only horse(s) that would carry a claiming tag in the second leg would be one that was claimed from the first leg and is making its first start in the series for a new owner. Legs of the claiming series will race for $5,000 purses with a championship purse estimated at $10,000.
Another new twist at Running Aces will be the introduction of “The Survivor Series” in July. Plans for this event call for a maximum of 36 horses to start in four elimination races comprising round one. The top five finishers from each race would advance to two elimination races in round two. The championship final would be comprised of the ten horses that survived both elimination rounds chasing an estimated purse of $10,000. At the time of entry into round one, horses must be non-winners of $1,250 in their last five starts or have raced in a $3,000 claiming event or less in the previous money start. There is no nomination fee for the Survivor Series, just a $250 starting fee in round one only.
Deadline for entering the June Late Closers is May 31, while the July series close on July 1. They will also be available in the race office upon arrival.
The barn area at Running Aces opens on Monday, May 9, with pre-season qualifying races slated for May 18 and May 25. Opening night of the regular season is May 31 with live racing every Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday evening at 7 p.m. through August 27.
Trainers are reminded that all horses entering the backstretch at Running Aces must be accompanied by four documents: a negative coggins test within one year, a negative equine piroplasmosis (EP/Serum-redtop tube) test within one year, proof of an EHV-l vaccination within six months, and a health certificate issued within ten days. There will be no exceptions, so please do not ship to Running Aces unless accompanied by all four documents for each horse!