Various Harness Related Questions

[Track Collector]

Hello,

As my forum moniker might suggest, I enjoy visiting different racetracks. I especially enjoy the small agricultural-type race meets, many of which are not recognized by the average racing fan. To date, my focus has been on US and Canadian thoroughbred and Quarter Horse tracks.

I'm considering adding some harness tracks to my visit list, and would most likely target the small fair meets which run in states like Ohio and Maine. (I found a website that shows OH to currently have more than 60 of these places, and all but a few are believed to offer parimutuel betting.).

While not the primary focus of my visits, I very much enjoy the challenge of handicapping the races at these small racing fairs, and on the thoroughbred side, there is sufficient Past Performance data that exists to assist one in their handicapping endeavors, even though these places are basically unknown to the average race fan.

Does anyone here have any experience in attending one of these small racing fairs in places like Ohio and Maine? I am specifically interested in knowing if some type of Past Performance program can be purchased on site, who the data source of those programs is, do the programs include races from all the other smaller racing fairs, etc.?

My concern is that it could be similar to my experience at one other small racing meet I attended years ago. Although they offered parimutuel betting, it was still considered an "unrecognized" meet. The official race program contained "valuable" information such as the race number, horse's name, jockey, post position, and race distance. What it did not contain was any past performance running lines normally found in a "racing" program.

Thanks for any and all insight!


Chris

[Ray2000]

If you do the Ohio Fair circuit, you'll enjoy Canfield.... "Ohio's Largest"?

This is always an argument, Jug people will disagree but by attendance
Canfield used to run for 2 weeks :)

Mahoning County Fair (Canfield) Aug 28-Sept 2
Delaware County Fair (Delaware) Sept 14-21...."Little Brown Jug"

[wilderness]

Does anyone here have any experience in attending one of these small racing fairs in places like Ohio and Maine? I am specifically interested in knowing if some type of Past Performance program can be purchased on site, who the data source of those programs is, do the programs include races from all the other smaller racing fairs, etc.?

All US Fairs use the USTA's RTS system for entries, results and past performances. Unfortunately the programs are likely only available at the actual fair.

Ohio (unlike most other states) offers pari-mutel wagering at the majority of the fairs.

I would suggest contacting the Ohio Harness Horseman's Association (http://www.ohha.com/) (Columbus) for more info.

I have no reference for Maine, however would suggest contacting the Maine Harness Horseman's Association (http://www.mainehha.com/).



My concern is that it could be similar to my experience at one other small racing meet I attended years ago. Although they offered parimutuel betting, it was still considered an "unrecognized" meet. The official race program contained "valuable" information such as the race number, horse's name, jockey, post position, and race distance. What it did not contain was any past performance running lines normally found in a "racing" program.

Thanks for any and all insight!

Chris

With no race lines in the past performances, your referring to "uncharted races", which only offer the limited data.
The PM tracks have a person whom sits high-up with a pair of binoculars and charts each horses position and lengths at each quarter, via recording. The data is then entered into the USTA's RTS system.

All tracks regardless of PM or fair) pays the USTA a fee for the use of the RTS software. The fairs pay a much lesser fee because they only offer limited dates.

Michigan's Fairs offer a mixture of charted and uncharted results, although there is NOT any pari-mutuel wagering at Mich Fairs.

I could be mistaken, however the only state (in recent years) that I'm aware of that offers un-sanctioned races is Mississippi.

[badcompany]

Scarborough Downs, in Maine, would be up your alley. It's not a fair, but a B-minus 1/2 mile harness track. I know there's also some fair racing around those parts but I'm not familiar enough with them to provide details.

Brett

[wilderness]

Scarborough PP's are available via Trackmaster of any other seller of PP's.

Here's all the Maine Fairs (http://fairs.ustrotting.com/faf_main.cfm?state=me)

USTA Fairs page (http://fairs.ustrotting.com/)

[thespaah]

Hello,

As my forum moniker might suggest, I enjoy visiting different racetracks. I especially enjoy the small agricultural-type race meets, many of which are not recognized by the average racing fan. To date, my focus has been on US and Canadian thoroughbred and Quarter Horse tracks.

I'm considering adding some harness tracks to my visit list, and would most likely target the small fair meets which run in states like Ohio and Maine. (I found a website that shows OH to currently have more than 60 of these places, and all but a few are believed to offer parimutuel betting.).

While not the primary focus of my visits, I very much enjoy the challenge of handicapping the races at these small racing fairs, and on the thoroughbred side, there is sufficient Past Performance data that exists to assist one in their handicapping endeavors, even though these places are basically unknown to the average race fan.

Does anyone here have any experience in attending one of these small racing fairs in places like Ohio and Maine? I am specifically interested in knowing if some type of Past Performance program can be purchased on site, who the data source of those programs is, do the programs include races from all the other smaller racing fairs, etc.?

My concern is that it could be similar to my experience at one other small racing meet I attended years ago. Although they offered parimutuel betting, it was still considered an "unrecognized" meet. The official race program contained "valuable" information such as the race number, horse's name, jockey, post position, and race distance. What it did not contain was any past performance running lines normally found in a "racing" program.

Thanks for any and all insight!


Chris
It is a shame the NJ Fair circuit is no longer in existence. Though none of the fair tracks had PM wagering, the races were fun to watch and many of the tracks had pretty good sized crowds which added to the fun.
Ohio has several Fair meets. Always has

[wilderness]

It is a shame the NJ Fair circuit is no longer in existence. Though none of the fair tracks had PM wagering, the races were fun to watch and many of the tracks had pretty good sized crowds which added to the fun.
Ohio has several Fair meets. Always has

For nearly a century there were two premier organizations in US harness racing.
1) The Gentleman's Driving Club of Boston (http://www.archive.org/details/drivingclubsofgr00linn) and more reading (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+site:query.nytimes.com+boston+driving+club&gbv=1&sei=9Q7YUKLYKpCxqQGIpoCADg)

2)The Road Horse Association of New Jersey (http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aquery.nytimes.com+raod+horse+assoc iation+of+New+Jersey&btnG=Search&hl=en&gbv=1).

The later exists today however not in the capacity of its former self.

Weequahic Park (Wavery Pk) (http://matineeclub.tripod.com/BBytes/RiseandFall.html) a good read
Weequahic Park (http://newarksports.net/buildings/weeparktrack.php) some nice pictures.

Newark/Weequahic if still in existence would have been a splendid addition to the mix.
I suppose the the longer meet at Freehold was responsible for the decline of fairs in NY.

There was also a track at Trenton (State Fair) for many years, and other places.
Flemington, Paulsboro, and there were a handful of lesser know locations.

Stanley Dancer use to hold a gala and some races at his farm in New Egypt.

Portions of NJ were also part of two different circuits in earlier time.
1) NY-NJ
2) PA-NJ

We mustn't forget Atlantic City either.

Like most other states, had all these locations and their markets survived, it's difficult to imagine the thriving industry that would have existed today.

[Tuff Time]

Maine has quite a few fairs with pari-mutuel racing. Some are Topsham, Skowhegan, Windsor, Union, Cumberland, Presque Isle, And Freyburg. Programs can be purchased at OTB in Lewiston, Waterville, Brunswick and Bangor. I think they have non pari-mutuel racing at Cornish and Blue Hill.