Harrington: Qualifying races announced

The first qualifying races of the season at Harrington Raceway will take place June 9 and 10 with a new qualifying time of 9 a.m.

In order to be in compliance with COVID-19 related state guidelines, a maximum of nine races will be carded. The June 10 qualifiers will be restricted to Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) eligible 3-year-olds. If space allows for the June 10 qualifying draw, overnight horses may be permitted to qualify.

There will be a double draw for both qualifying days on June 8 with the entry box closing at noon.

The Delaware Harness Racing Commission has waived the 60-day qualifying rule due to the lapse in racing from the mandated COVID-19 related closures. Any horse who has a clean charted line since February 1 will not need to qualify. Due to spacing restrictions, only horses that need to qualify may be permitted and will have preference. Also in light of spacing/capacity restrictions, horses trained by individuals who have not raced at Harrington Raceway in 2019 may not be permitted to qualify and/or race.

Paddock protocol for all horsemen, including a temperature checkpoint upon entry is required. Horsemen are strongly urged to view the protocol in advance here. All horsemen are required to read, sign and abide by the protocol or risk losing racing privileges.

Live racing will commence on June 15 without spectators on a Monday through Wednesday schedule until July 15. An updated racing calendar can be found here.

There will be no racing on July 30 during the Delaware State Fair. The summer/fall schedule will resume August 17.

Post time nightly is 4:30 p.m.

-edited release (Matt Sparacino for Harrington)