by Jeff Zidek, information specialist, Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission

Honesdale, PA — The Wayne County Fair, located in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, is ready to start a new decade with a new track record.

As an incentive for the old records to fall, Race Secretary Jeff Firmstone has worked with the fair board to secure a $500 bonus for the first horse — pacer or trotter — to break the existing track record in the Free-For-All.

Honesdale, located in the Northeast corner of the state, is a popular year-round training center for horsemen due to its proximity to Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs, Monticello, Tioga, the Meadowlands and Yonkers. The fair has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past decade building two new horse barns, and hosts racing twice per year — once during the traditional fair week in August, along with a two-day PA Sire Stakes meet each July.

This year’s fair races will take place on Tuesday, August 10, and Wednesday, August 11, with both Free-For-Alls slated for Wednesday.

According to Firmstone, “The Wednesday card has traditionally been the highlight of our race schedule during fair week. Our fair board decided to sweeten the pot in these two races providing an incentive for older horses to race at the fair, affording for greater fan excitement through more competitive races and the extra excitement of racing against the clock. Harness racing has evolved from an endurance type of sport to one where speed is king.”

On the Honesdale half-mile oval, only one horse, KT Beaner in 2003, has ever beaten 2:00, pacing in 1:59.4. Firmstone is looking forward to seeing that record fall.

“When many fairs have dropped overnight racing from their schedules because of funding, our board felt like this small incentive was a great way to promote racing at the fair as well as show our support of harness racing in general,” said Firmstone.

For more information on harness racing at the 148th annual Wayne County Fair, visit www.waynecountyfair.com/racing.html.