Harness Racing Underway Sunday at Effingham Co. Fair

The Effingham County Fair harness racing begins Sunday at Altamont. Eight races are on tap with post time at 1 p.m.

The Big 10 3-Year-Old Trot will begin the day's races with four horses lining up at the gate. Then it's the Big 10 2-Year-Old Pace followed by Racing Under Saddle Trot.

Then comes the IHHA 3-Year-Old & Up Filly Pace followed by the IHHA 3-Year-Old & Up Colt Pace. There will be an Open Maiden Trot followed by an Open Maiden Pace. The final race of the day will be the Racing Under Saddle Pace.

According to Kurt Becker, Fair Meadow Farm will have a "Name the Foal" contest. Sunday, the mare and her 2017 baby will be in a stall at the South end of the grandstand underneath. All are welcome to submit a name, with 18 letters maximum and spaces count as a letter.

The baby's sire is Sagebrush and the mother is a mare named ARTEMIS TSS.

Any age may enter the contest and $50 will go to the person who has the best name as chosen by FMF employees who are not eligible. The foal is a real docile guy born in May. Pictures are encouraged. He will wear that name his racing career.

There also will be claiming races this year. Claiming races are substitute races and there could be three or four of them. There will be a $4,000 claimer and a $6,000 claimer. For more information, go to the Effingham County Fair race secretary's office, located immediately south of the grandstand, near the barn area.

Sunday's Entries

Race One

Big 10 3-Year-Old Trot

Purse: $1,006

1. Make It Shine (Buddy Simpson), 2. Little Ms Aryss (Michael Rogers), 3. Best Balance (Barak Patton), 4. Lougazi (Marcus  Turner)

Race Two

Big 10 2-Year-Old Pace

Purse:  $1,579

1. Sportybae (Barak Patton), 2. Mr It Aint Fair (Marcus Turner), 3. Pretty Iris (no driver listed), 4. Fox Valley Sierra (Darla Martin Lohman)

Race Three

Racing Under Saddle Trot

Purse: $640

1. Mount Sunset (no driver listed), 2. Sherrys Band (Barak Patton)

Race Four

IHHA 3-Year-Old & Up Filly Pace

Purse; $1,500

1. Wimple's Dimple (Marcus Turner), 2. Little Adaline (Larry Plank), 3. Duneside Life (Kyle Husted), 4. Queen Beatrice (Darla Martin Lohman)

Race Five

IHHA 3-Year-Old & Up Colt Pace

Purse: $1,500

1. Cruiser (Ray Gash), 2. Lotta Richess (Clark Fairley), 3. Whatdoesthefoxsay (Jerome Daniels), 4. Uncle Bud (Clay Simpson)

Race Six

Open Maiden Trot

Purse: $1,260

1. Montgomery Misty (Phillip Green), 2. Princess Ashley (no driver listed), 3. Cassis Cowboy (Henry Brown)

Race Seven

Open Maiden Pace

Purse: $1,300

1. Perfectly Dune (Kyle Husted), 2. Patches Girl (Larry Plank), 3.My Decision (Anthony Somone), 4. Sage Dance (Marcus Turner), 5. Day Of Decision (Kyle Husted)

Race Eight

Racing Under Saddle Pace

Purse: $610

1. Midnight Curfew (Barak Patton), 2. Natural Wonder (no driver listed)