Harrington: Live racing set to begin April 9

Harrington Raceway’s 72nd season of live harness racing will get underway April 9 with a 65-day racing meet.

Live racing will be conducted primarily on a Monday through Wednesday schedule with the exception of the last two weeks of August, when racing will only be on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The meet will close on October 24.

Highlights include the always popular Bobby Quillen Memorial on September 17, which annually brings some of racing’s top horses to the First State to honor the memory of the late legislator who was a long-time harness racing fan and supporter. The 2017 edition was won by Bit of a Legend N and prior winners include harness racing’s richest horse of all-time Foiled Again, and 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit.

The richest program of the season is always the Governor’s Day (July 26) card during the Delaware State Fair, which will feature approximately $600,000 in total purses. The program is a focal point for Delaware horsemen as 3-year-old Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final events are contested as well as longstanding events for older horses such as the Governor’s Cup, Legislator’s Cup, President’s Cup and Charles Murphy Memorial Trot.

October 3 will showcase the DSBF 2-year-old final and consolation events.

For the first time, racing applications will be paperless as an interactive online application will be available at harringtonraceway.com. Other forms will still be available for download under the horsemen section of the website. Racing applications must be received by March 23.

Post time nightly is 5 p.m.

-Edited release, Matt Sparacino for Harrington