Northfield Park and Thistledown won't have live racing Wednesday, but horse race fans can still watch the trotters and pacers go around and around -- and bet on them -- at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.
BEREA, Ohio -- Northfield Park and Thistledown won't have live racing Wednesday, but fans can still watch the trotters and pacers go around and around during the afternoon -- and bet on them -- at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea.
The races on the half-mile track are dominated by the Buckeye Super Stakes for Ohio-bred two- and three-year-old fillies and colts. The eight stakes purses range from $3,680 to $5,880. Director Gail Royak of the Speed Department has also added a pair of Free-For-All Paces with $1,000 purses.
Post time for the first race is 4:30 p.m. The pari-mutuel machines have been upgraded this year, offering a pair of daily doubles and perfecta, quinella and trifecta wagering in addition to the traditional win, place and show betting.
Some fields are slim, with only a trio of two-year-old trotting fillies entered in the ninth race, and three in the eighth race, a two-year-old filly pace. Local harness fans will recognize the driving talent, with familiar faces in the sulky including Ryan Stahl, Dan Charlino, Wyatt Irvine, Kurt Sugg, Keith Kash and J. D. Wengerd.
There are some harness stars racing, especially among the three-year-olds. Jazz Spur has a 2:00.1 trotting victory at Northfield among his four wins this year, Justherighttouch has trotted to four wins in his last six starts. Shez Good Osborne in the sophomore filly pace has a 1:55.1 Northfield win.
In the three-year-old colt pace, Crusinfull Throttle has won five of 10 and a 1:54.4 Scioto Downs mile. At Daybreak won his last two and paced a 1:57.4 mile at Northfield.