Gerrity Pacing Series Set to Get Underway
The second annual Joe Gerrity Jr Memorial Pacing Series is set to get underway this weekend at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. The first installment of the series, which memorializes the longtime Chairman Of The Board at the Raceway who passed away a five years ago, will feature top pacers from the track and from out of town. Thirty three horses have been entered to compete in the Free-For-All Pacing Series for three year olds and older which carries with it purses of $25,000 per division as well as an estimated $125,000 final.
The Joe Gerrity Jr Memorial Pacing Series started last year in memoriam of a man who did so much for Saratoga Raceway and for horse racing in general. Over his lifetime, Gerrity bred or owned hundreds of standardbreds and thoroughbreds at his Loudonville farm called the “Little Farm.” Gerrity took over as Chairman of the Board of the then Saratoga Harness Racing Inc. in 1987 and eventually oversaw the expansion of the facility and the installation of VGM’s, funding the project, in part, himself when legal opposition to the VLT law made financing difficult. Gerrity was a highly respected and well liked member of the Saratoga Raceway family so a series in his honor is only fitting.
The second annual Gerrity Series will kick off on Saturday night with the first of the legs as the participants compete for their share of the increased purses as well as points towards the August 21st final. The $125,000+ final will coincide with a commemorative t-shirt giveaway that evening. Last year’s Gerrity Series winner Eagle Real One will be back to defend his crown this year as the Ray Schnittker trainee is one of the standout pacers who paid the entry fee to compete in the Saturday night series. Eagle Real One will face some stiff competition once again this year just as he did en route to his win of the series final in 2009. Among the group of nominated horses are five horses that have won the open pace at the Spa this season, including track record holder Rare Jewel. Several out of towners will invade the Spa for the Gerrity, some of which have competed and thrived at Saratoga this season. Among that group is Lahaye, Doubleshotascotch, Bet The Town and Mr Rockford. Of the thirty three entered horses, ten of them will be making their local debut in the Gerrity Series. Come out and join us on Saturday nights starting this week and see which top pacer will be crowned the champion of the Gerrity Pacing Series as thirty two rivals will set out to knock off Ray Schnittker’s Eagle Real One, the dominant force in last year’s inaugural event.
The track’s trotters will get their shot to compete for bigger purse money this August as well as the top highsteppers will square off in the “August Fun” Battle of Saratoga Trotting Series. Starting this Friday, the group of thirty two talented trotters will compete for purse money of $20,000 per leg as they look towards a $60,000+ final. Unlike the pacing series in which several of the names could be unfamiliar to fans of Saratoga, most of the participants in the August Fun Trotting Series are no strangers to the Spa oval. Prime Interest, who won his third consecutive open trot on Friday night, will likely head into the series as the favorite though invader Scorpion Moon could have something to say about that. Scorpion Moon has been dominating trotters throughout North America for the last few years and will return to Saratoga for his trainer Tracy Brainard to compete in the Trotting Series. A sleeper in the series could be How’d That Feel, who won his local debut for trainer Matt Butcher Jr and though on paper may not look like the dominant force that Prime Interest and Scorpion Moon appear to be, if you watched his lone local race, you know he has the ability to compete and perhaps thrive against the type of top level competition he will face in the Friday night Trotting Series.
Live racing is in full swing this week with action on Tuesday through Saturday nights. First post time each night is set for 7:20pm. The five night a week schedule will take place until the conclusion of the Saratoga thoroughbred meet in September. Until next week, I’m Mike Sardella wishing you the best of luck and we’ll see YOU at the finish line!