Lancaster, OH — When the trotters and pacers at the 169th Fairfield County Fair post parade for the Ohio Colt Racing Association stakes on Wednesday (Oct. 9) they will be continuing a tradition that has been held at the same location in Lancaster since 1880, the year Ohio’s own Rutherford B. Hayes was President of the United States.

It was a heralded beginning that year in which Western silent film actor Tom Mix, comedian W.C. Fields, General Douglas McArthur, author Helen Keller, and pitcher Christy Mathewson were born as the newly-constructed half-mile oval first welcomed Fairfield County’s equine elite.

This year, as the horses come onto the track under the stoic sentinel of Mt Pleasant or, as the native Americans called it “Standing Stone,” it will be no different and the excitement and thrill and chills of quality harness racing promises more of Ohio’s newest champions.

On Wednesday (Oct. 9), with a first-race post time of 1 p.m. come and enjoy the OCRA 2- and 3-year-old trotters and pacers as well as a Signature Series Trot that will be aiming to shatter the track trotting record of 2:01 held by Hanky L.

Thursday’s card (Oct. 10) begins at 1:30 p.m. and brings out even more action as OCRA juveniles will compete along with the Ricketts Pace, another Signature Series race, where the area’s top pacers have their sights set on the all-time standard of 1:58.3 set by the $140,000-plus winning filly Ocean Pearl back in 2011.

There will be fan-interactive contests throughout both race programs and be sure to stop by the OHHA Racing With The Stars tent and enter in its contests open to everyone, free of charge. Perhaps you’ll win the Fan Contest and get to go to the winner’ circle just like an owner, get a copy of the win photo, and receive prizes that include a $25 grocery/gas gift certificate. You can be part of “Text Back” where we will text you to let you know you’ve won a t-shirt and you can play “text trivia” from your seats in the stands as you find the answers to the questions in the racing program.

It’s all part of the fun and the excitement and the history of the Fairfield County Fair, where you’ll remember all the good times and the good people for years to come. And that’s the lasting effect of Lancaster.