Okemos, MI — The 2023 Michigan fair harness racing season opens Saturday (July 8) with a 13-race program in Charlotte, Mich., the first of 12 stops on the summer-long circuit.

A total of 74 horses were entered to race for just over $90,000 in combined purses on Saturday’s card of Colt Stakes events restricted to Michigan-sired horses at Charlotte, just southwest of Lansing. First post is 1 p.m. (EDT).

The first events in the Colt Stakes program that are open to both Michigan-sired and Michigan-bred horses will take place Monday and Tuesday (July 10-11) in Big Rapids, north of Grand Rapids. First post is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. both days.

This summer, the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association (MHHA) has teamed up with Trot and Pace Marketing to broadcast fair races via a live stream accessible on the MHHA’s Facebook page and YouTube page.

The full season schedule is as follows:

July 8: Charlotte
July 10-11: Big Rapids
July 15-16: Hastings
July 22-23: Caro
July 24: Fowlerville
July 27-28: Harrison
July 30-31: Bad Axe
Aug. 7-8: Ludington
Aug. 14-15: Cadillac
Aug. 21-22: Hart
Sept. 11 and 13: Allegan
Sept. 18-19: Centreville