Officials with Miami Valley Raceway have announced that the track’s upcoming race meet will include one of the highest average overnight purse structures in harness racing.
Following a season of record live handle, expectations are high among horsepeople and fans for the 2017 race meet. Approximately $15 million in purses will be offered within the 87-day meet, which is sure to make for competitive racing. Over $3 million in late-closing and stakes purses will attract top horses to southwest Ohio throughout the meet.
The excitement will begin on January 6 and will continue through May 8 five days a week, featuring Sunday, Monday and Tuesday matinees at 2:05 p.m. and evening racing Friday and Saturday at 6:05 p.m. OHHA track representative Brett Merkle has commented that, “This is the type of winter meet Ohio horsemen have longed for and it has finally arrived. We accept the challenge of living up to the potential.”
The new $25,000 ‘Midwest Driver’s Challenge’ on January 8, 9 and 10 will kick off ‘Miami Valley’s Winter Festival of Racing.’ The top drivers in North America will compete over three days to determine the inaugural winner.
A multitude of other events are planned to foster outstanding racing and betting opportunities for both horsepeople and horse patrons.
The cornerstones of the Winter Festival include the following:
*$700,000 (est.) Claim to Fame Series
• 10 lucrative series for $5000, $8000, $12,500 & $20,000 claimers
*$200,000 (est.) Elite Survivor Series
• Brand new three-week elimination tourney to crown best $10,000 claimer
*$200,000 (est.) Classic Survivor Series
• Popular annual four-week elimination tourney for $5,000 claimers
*$600,000 (est.) Lebanon Legends Series
• Nine conditioned series honouring notable former SW Ohio horsemen
Beginning in April, the all new Lucky Buckeye Series will kick off ‘Miami Valley’s Spring Festival of Racing.’ The excitement will build to the season finale, held the first week of May, with Ohio Sires Stakes action leading towards Grand Circuit racing and the new Spring Scarlet & Gray Invitations.
*$250,000 (est.) Lucky Buckeye Series
• New three-leg event for the top older Buckeye-bred horses
*$75,000 (est.) James Hackett Memorial for Fillies
• Traditional tune-up for three-year-old stakes season
*$75,000 (est.) James Hackett Memorial for Colts
• Traditional tune-up for three-year-old stakes season
*$500,000 (est.) Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old fillies
• First major test of the 2017 stakes season
*$500,000 (est.) Ohio Sires Stakes for three-year-old colts
• First major test of the 2017 stakes season
*$100,000 (est.) Grand Circuit Chip Noble Memorial
• The best pacing mares in the world
*$100,000 (est.) Grand Circuit Miami Valley Distaff
• The best trotting mares in the world
*$200,000 (est.) Spring Scarlet & Gray Invitationals
• Ohio’s best three-year-olds head-to-head
(Miami Valley Raceway)