by Keith Gisser, director of publicity, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — Thursday, July 26, marks the first day Northfield patrons can enter the 50th Anniversary drawing for a Pontiac G6 convertible.

Patrons may enter once (and only once) a day for the 30 days leading up to the prize drawing, which will be held on Saturday, August 25 — the culmination of the track’s Anniversary celebration. Fireworks will follow the races that night.

The 50th Anniversary week kicks off with Customer Appreciation Night on Monday, August 20, featuring price rollbacks and other fun stuff. Patrons will have a chance to meet members of the NBA runner-up Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, August 22, and Ohio Lottery Access To Fun Night is set for Friday, August 24. Stay tuned to Keeping Pace for all the details!

Schedule reminder: Northfield opens early for simulcasting the next two Saturdays. We host the $200,000 Summit County Fair Stakes on the evening of July 28. First simulcast tracks that day include Philadelphia Park and Delaware Park on the thoroughbred side, with first posts just after 12:30 p.m., and harness action from Rockingham Park set to begin at 1:05 p.m.

For the complete simulcast schedule, log on to, www.northfieldpark.com/simulcast_schedule.asp.

There will be free coffee and Dunkin Donuts from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. on July 28.

On Saturday, August 4, Northfield offers simulcasting of the complete Hambletonian card from the Meadowlands, which starts at 11:30 a.m. Players Club members will receive double points on the Hambletonian card. If you can’t make it to the track, log on to www.ustrotting.com, where your humble scribe will be part of the blog team covering the $1.5 million race.

In case you missed it: The next Players Club mailing, with rewards for points earned through July 31, will be mailed on August 2… Hello Yankie posted a new track record for 2-year-old pacing colts at Northfield on Saturday, stopping the timer in 1:53.2 to erase Noble Cam from the record books. Ryan Stahl drove the son of Yankee Cruiser for Sylvia Burke, Frank Baldachino and Louis Starr, Jr., in the $20,000 Ohio Sires Stake… An extensive remodeling of the track’s clubhouse entrance is nearing completion. Work continues on the clubhouse restaurant and the former game room area…The track hosts the $1 million Ohio Super Night on Saturday, September 1.

For J.K. Rowling fans: The Harry Potter saga reached its end in print over the weekend, but it continues on harness racetracks across North America. A quick search of the U.S. Trotting Association’s Pathway database shows over a dozen horses with Potter-themed monikers.

Hogwarts Hanover posted a win at Toledo’s Raceway Park at the end of June, while Hogwarts raced from 2002-2004. Harry Potter has never been in harness, but Hermione (Granger), a six-time winner, is campaigning in Canada, while Dumbledore, another six-time winning trotter, is racing in Indiana. There’s no Gringott’s, but there is 13-time winner Diagon Alley and Maryland-based Quidditch Cup (a pacing filly named Quidditch raced just twice before being stopped by a bludger).

Sharlene Dufford’s trotter Potions And Spells has been highly successful, as well. The 6-year-old trotter, who splits time between Northfield and the Meadows, has won 16 career starts.

But the best of them all is probably Gryffindor, named for Potter’s “House” at Hogwarts. The pacing son of Dragon Again (seems appropriate that a dragon be involved) has earned over $798,000 in his career, winning 17 races and taking a lifetime mark of 1:50.

We could go on, but don’t want the Silencio charm to be cast on us.