Albany NY — The 2024 New York Sire Stakes County Fair Series season got off to a successful start at Goshen Historic Track this past Friday (July 5), with 10 races featuring 2- and 3-year-old Standardbreds in front of a packed crowd, followed by Excelsior Series races on July 6-7.

“Harness racing is alive and well and kicking in New York with hundreds of races and thousands of dollars being spent in purses for people to perpetuate this great New York tradition,” said Agriculture & NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Chair Brian O’Dwyer.

The New York Sire Stakes serves as a model for state-bred racing programs and is the nation’s oldest harness racing program of its kind. Goshen Historic Track, established in 1838, is the world’s oldest active harness racing track.

Agriculture & NYS Horse Breeding Development Fund Trustee Steve Jones noted, “It’s very important to preserve the tradition in Goshen, and we intend to do that.”

O’Dwyer and Jones were joined by Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Executive Director Ralph Scunziano at Goshen Historic Track to experience the racing on Friday.

Conducted by the Fund, the County Fair Series is an ideal introduction to the sport of harness racing. These “earn as you learn” non-pari-mutuel races across the state provide Standardbred horses and their drivers valuable on-track competitive experience. Horses have the opportunity to rise in class to the Excelsior Series, and ultimately, the New York Sire Stakes Series, where the best New York-bred 2- and 3-year-old Standardbreds compete.

The 2024 County Fair Series continues throughout July and August at fairs across the state, concluding with Sept. 1 series finals at Goshen:

• July 15, 2 p.m.: Dunkirk (Chautauqua County)
• July 16, 12:30 p.m.: Lowville (Lewis County)
• July 16, Noon: Hemlock (Livingston County)
• July 18, Noon: Afton (Chenango County)
• July 23, 11 a.m.: Boonville (Oneida County)
• July 25, 1:30 p.m.: Batavia Downs (Genesee County)
• July 29, 1 p.m.: Malone (Franklin County)
• July 30, Noon: Morris (Otsego County)
• July 31, Noon: Horseheads (Chemung County)
• August 1, Noon: Gouverneur (St. Lawrence County)
• August 6, Noon: Norwich (Chenango County)
• August 6, Noon: Cobleskill (Schoharie County)
• August 9, Noon: Owego (Tioga County)
• August 12, Noon: Palmyra (Wayne County)
• August 12, Noon: Bath (Steuben County)
• August 14, Noon: Westport (Essex County)
• August 20, Noon: Trumansburg (Tompkins County)
• September 1, 1 p.m.: Goshen Historic Track – County Fair Series Finals

The 2024 County Fair Series Program details all County Fair race schedules, conditions and more. For more information, visit nysirestakes.com.