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PA Fair season to open Saturday

Meadville, PA --- Harness racing returns to Pennsylvania's county fair circuit on Saturday (June 25) at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Meadville, Pa., the first of two days of racing at the Northwestern Pennsylvania half-mile track.

Saturday's nine-race, Pennsylvania Sire Stake card features the debut of the freshman class of 2011. A total of 56 horses will compete -- 55 of which will be making their first career starts, other than qualifying races.

The lone "veteran" racing on Saturday is Paints Hall, a daughter of Blissfull Hall, out of the Roger Hammer Stable. The filly has a pair of starts under her belt already, and has posted two third-place finishes and just over $2,000 in purse earnings.

Freshman filly trotters will go for the day's top prize, an $11,588 purse in the day's fourth race. Only six entries were in the box for the 2-year-old filly trot, resulting in just one division. Two groups of colt trotters will face the starter in PASS action to close out the day, each for a purse near $6,000.

On Sunday, Meadville will host 11 events, all PA Sire Stake races for 3-year-olds. Three of the four divisions of sophomores split three ways, with the exception being the colt trot. Two groups will compete, each for a purse of around $5,800.

SJ Better Days, owned by Meadville Race Secretary Boots Dunn, leads the pack in earnings this season with over $28,000 in the bank in just six starts.

Post time each day is slated for 1 p.m.