Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Tioga Downs Announces Racing Season Highlights at Press Night


2018 Season to Include Derby Day Celebration, Camel & Ostrich Racing, and More

Nichols, N.Y.May 1, 2018 –Local leaders and media partners joined together at P.J. Clarke’s Patio at Tioga Downs Tuesday for an exciting and informational peak into the upcoming racing season.

The event featured tours of the grounds, photo opportunities, interviews with drivers and owners, and an exclusive preview of the event highlights for the 2018 live harness racing season, including:

The season with will kick off with a Derby Day event on Saturday, May 5th. The celebration will include a Derby Hat contest, t-shirt and magnet giveaways, performances from the Edward P Maloney Pipe Band, and a $1,000 Derby Dream Bet promotion. The two Dream Bet winners will receive $500 to wager on a single horse, and they will take home any winnings. Between the live races, the Kentucky Derby will be played Barco board. Post time for Derby Day is 5:00 p.m.

On Sunday, May 27th, Tioga Downs will commemorate Memorial Day at the track. American flag hats will be given away at the promotions table beginning at 5 p.m., and there will be a patriotic fireworks display directly following the last race. Post time is 6:15 p.m.

This year, fans can look forward to an extra special Father’s Day celebration. On Sunday, June 17th, the Camel and Ostrich Races will return to Tioga Downs, and guests can watch these exotic animals run down the stretch. This spirited race day will also feature a Father’s Day themed giveaway: one lucky winner will leave the track with a ride-on lawn mower. Post time for this race will be 1 p.m.

Additional highlights for the 2018 season include a special Independence Day race at 1:00 p.m. on July 4th, the Miss Tioga Downs Beauty Pageant on Saturday, July 21st, and a series of high-stakes races in August. On Sunday, August 12th, the track will host Joie De Vie Open Mare Trot and Crawford Farms Open Trot. These exciting races will each have purses of an estimated $175,000. The Empire Breeders Classic Finals will take place the following week, on August 19th. The event will feature 3-year-old horses and will have an estimated $250,000 purses up for grabs. The Roll with Joe Open Pace and the Artiscape Open Mare Pace will take place this same day, each with an estimated purse of $175,000.

There will be another chance to win big at the annual Million-Dollar Ball Drop on Labor Day, Monday, September 3rd. This highly anticipated contest will take place during the live racing. The grand prize is $1,000,000, and the Top 25 closest golf balls can win prizes up to $5,000. Post time is 1:00 p.m.

The season will come to an end on Saturday, September 22nd. For Closing Night, Tioga Downs will host a Horseplay Car Giveaway, and the winner will walk away with a 2018 Toyota Corolla. To celebrate the last night of the season, all guests will enjoy a spectacular fireworks display. Post time for the final race of the year is 6:15 p.m.

To check out the complete 2018 season event calendar, please visit www.tiogadowns.com.

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