by Jerry Connors, for the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission
Harrisburg, PA — The Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission and the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association have announced that the upcoming Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships and Consolations will have an increase in purses, coming from a $560,000 contribution towards these races by the PHHA.
The Championship races were originally set for $150,000; now the extra money will boost them to $200,000. The Consolations jump from $30,000 to $50,000. The increases bring the purses of Championship-Consolation segment of the program to a cool $2 million.
The 3-year-old Championship and Consolation races will be held Labor Day, Monday, September 5, at Harrah’s Chester Racino; their 2-year-old counterparts will go behind the gate at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Saturday, September 10.
The PHHA is the organization representing the horsemen racing at both tracks.
If you have horses eligible to any of these races, please check a condition sheet or with the tracks’ Racing Offices for specifics of declaration and other information. Starting fee is $1,000 for the Championships; there will be no starting fee for the Consolations.