Schenectady, NY — The New York Sire Stakes County Fair Series is set to begin Thursday (July 8) at the Afton Fair in Chenango County. Post time is noon.

The fair will entail a 19-race card, 15 of those are New York Sire Stakes events, three overnight events and one racing under saddle event.

The series consists of 21 non-pari-mutuel harness racing events open to eligible 2- and 3-year-old New York-bred Standardbreds. The events provide young horses with the opportunity to earn as they learn while bringing harness racing to communities across the state.

Additionally, the New York State County Fair Series has three new locations this year in Genesee County, Madison County and Ontario County. Genesee County racing will occur at Batavia Downs, while Madison County racing will be offsite at SUNY Morrisville. The Ontario County Fair is located in Canandaigua, which is hosting harness racing on its track for the first time in memory.

“The New York Sire States County Fair Series is an exciting event that many look forward to each year,” said Kelly Young, executive director, Agriculture & NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund. “We are proud to partner with the individual county fairs to bring these events into the towns of many people looking forward to attending social scenes again after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state.”

A reminder that the full schedule of race dates can be viewed on the New York Sire Stakes website. The County Fair finals are scheduled for Sept. 5 at Goshen. Visit the New York Sire Stakes website at www.nysirestakes.com for more information.