from Saratoga Casino and Raceway

Saratoga Springs, NY — Saratoga Casino and Raceway will welcome several of the North American Standardbred industry’s most heralded individual performers, with the fifth annual Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Free for All Pace on Saturday (Aug. 17).

In the past, the Joe Gerrity Jr. Memoral has been held as a series of legs, culminating in the final. This year, the memorial pace features one dash for $275,000.

First post time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and race fans in attendance will receive a coupon redeemable for a commemorative 2013 Gerrity Night t-shirt with purchase of a $2 program.

The Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial FFA Pace is comprised of an elite eight horse field with combined lifetime earnings in excess of $11 million, headlined by leading North American trainer Ron Burke’s Foiled Again, a winner of more than $550,000 in 2013 with a mark of 1:48.

Another entry of note is Peter Foley’s Bolt The Duer, a winner of $334,000 in 2013 with a mark of 1:47.4.

“Between the Gerrity Memorial and Saturday’s undercard which features two Sire Stake events headlined by New York’s top 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, it is safe to say the Saratoga Raceway track record of 1:51 is in serious jeopardy,” said Don Hoover, Race Secretary at Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

The Memorial was created in 2009 as a pacing series honoring the memory of Joe Gerrity Jr. and his many contributions. A highly respected leader, inspiration and an icon for Saratoga Raceway and the horse racing industry, he was a breeder of horses in Loudonville, a licensed harness driver and became Chairman of the Board of Saratoga Harness Racing, Inc. (now Saratoga Casino and Raceway) on April 1, 1987. Mr. Gerrity later oversaw the expansion of the facility and the installation of video gaming machines, funding the project in part himself. He also served as a Director for the Harness Horse Breeders of New York State for 20 years, and also acted as Treasurer for much of that time. Mr. Gerrity passed away in October 2005.