from the Darke County Fair

Greenville, OH — The Darke County Agricultural Society is proud to announce they will be honoring Darke County native Chelsey Keiser, as they race the all-female driver’s race on closing night in her honor.

Keiser is a 2010 Versailles graduate and daughter of Mike and Debbie Keiser of North Star, Ohio. She is a jockey, currently hanging her tack at Suffolk Downs in Boston where she is in the top ten in the jockey standings.

Keiser will be on hand for the winner’s circle presentation and she is no stranger to the winner’s circle. In 2014 her mounts have taken her there 36 times with earning in excess of $700,000. In 2013, her first year, she found pay dirt 64 times. Her earnings in 2013 were more than $1.4 million. Her biggest win to date was on Tooth N Claw in the Maryland Million Starter Handicap.

The Snack Shop in New Madison will sponsor a giveaway to the first 500 fans who purchase a racing program — an autographed win photo of Keiser. According to Brian Jones, owner of the Snack Shop, “It’s a total pleasure to help honor this young lady. She is the best kept secret in horse racing in Darke County. She is very successful in a male dominated sport. She rides very aggressive, yet displays a wonderful ability to get a horse to relax, then fire for home. Hopefully we can show some young folks to dream big like Chelsey.”

Closing night will also feature a Gene Riegle Memorial Open Pace commemorative mug to the first 1,000 fans who purchase a race program. The giveaway begins at 6 p.m. in the grandstand.

Racing returns to Greenville, Ohio, on Friday night (Aug. 15) for the Great Darke County Fair’s annual week long race meet. Racing also takes place on Saturday (Aug. 16), afternoon and night, and on Thursday (Aug. 21) and Friday (Aug. 22) in the afternoons and nights. Afternoon post times are 1 p.m. except for Friday (Aug. 22) where it will be at 12 noon. Evening post times are at 7 p.m.

Condition sheets can be found at www.generieglememorial.com.