Erie County Fair race schedule

HAMBURG, NEW YORK – The 2021 Erie County Fair Sire Stakes County Fair Races will take place at the historic “Hamburg Oval” on Friday, July 9th , first post time at 12:30pm. The races can be watched from inside the Clubhouse or in the Grandstand.

The New York Sire Stakes promote the breeding, buying, and racing of Standardbred horses in New York State, and are administered by the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. We expect there to be a total of 8 races but will officially know following the draw on July 5th .

The Erie County Fair Race is part of a series of non-pari-mutuel betting harness races hosted at county fairs across New York State. The races are open to eligible two and three-year-old New York Standardbreds and are separated into eight divisions based on age and gait. The start of the race continues the official Fair events that will precede the 181st Erie County Fair that opens its gates on Wednesday, August 11th.

Harness racing at the Erie County Fair is a tradition that dates back to the 1850s when the Fair was held at various racetracks across the County. Racing at the “Hamburg Oval” pre-dates the Erie County Fair’s move to its current location at the Hamburg Fairgrounds as the site was originally home to the Hamburg Driving Grounds.

by Holly Smyczynski, for The Fairgrounds