On Thursday, Batavia Downs hosted the Genesee County Fair harness races.
Every year, the state gives money to the counties with harness racing to host a purse-only (no wagering) card of races. Since the fairgrounds are not suitable for harness racing, Batavia Downs hosts the races.
"It’s a good opportunity for our local horsemen and people from outside this area to come here, make some money," said General Manager of Live Racing Todd Haight. "They’re all New York-bred horses so it’s good for the New York-bred program, it’s good for or local horsemen. It’s good for everybody."
The 2021 racing season starts this coming Wednesday. The first post time is 6 p.m.
Video: For one race, I was able to ride in the cab of the starter truck. The horses in the race were 2-year-old colts so you'll see some of them hang back from the starter's gate, unlike a race with more experienced horses.
Starter Terry Mays, who was kind enough to let me share the very cramped space of the gate truck.
