This Saturday at the Northfield Park harness racing track you can watch and wager on the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes. Does Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah have what it takes to become the 12th winner of Thoroughbred Racing's Triple Crown?
Doors open early at 10:30 AM with the first race on the Belmont undercard scheduled for 11:35 AM. Advance wagering on the Belmont will be available, and simulcast signals from over 40 other tracks will be offered for wagering. Enjoy a donut and coffee for just $1 while you handicap the day's big races. The donut and coffee special will be available beginning at 10:30 AM while supplies last.
Join Bob "Railbird" Roberts and Track Announcer Ayers Ratliff at 11:00 AM for a FREE handicapping seminar outside on the grandstand apron. Bob and Ayers will give their picks and analysis on the entire Belmont card. Seminar attendees will be eligible to win a host of great door prizes.
Visit some of Northeast Ohio's gourmet food trucks on the outdoor apron from 12-7 PM including The Nosh Box, Seti's Polish Boys, Get Stuffed Mobile Eatery, The Spread, The Beachcomber and The Crooked Kettle Popcorn Company. Plus, enjoy live music by Monica Robins and the Whisky Kings from 2-5 PM and Unknown Reason from 5-8 PM.
ESPN Cleveland will be on site from 12-3 PM for a live broadcast and the Street Team from 4-6 PM. Stop by the WGAR booth from 3-5 PM to Scan-N-Win with Brian Fowler and visit Desiray from Cleveland's Star 102 FM with Stop, Drop and Win Plinko from 4-6 PM.
Player's Club Members can enter the $2,000 Belmont Handicapping Contest beginning with race four; top prize is $1,000 cash! In addition, Northfield Park will offer prize drawings throughout the afternoon. Fans will fill out an entry blank to deposit in the contest bin located in the center of the grandstand. Names will be drawn randomly throughout the day to play Plinko for Prizes! Fans can win cash, gift cards, $100 Win Wagers on the Belmont Stakes, sporting event tickets and more including the grand prize of $5,000 cash! FREE admission and FREE parking every day at Northfield Park.
Sunburned Vern Scores 50th Career Win
Sunburned Vern paced home for his 50th career victory, winning the second race at Northfield Park on Tuesday (June 2). The 10 year-old veteran, with 283 career starts, also has 36 seconds and 40 third place finishes.
Sunburned Vern (Stand Forever-Sunset Melody-Western Hanover) has career earnings of $165,877 with a lifetime mark of 1:54.1 at Pocono Downs at age five. The pacer's richest win was for a purse of $8,500 in a conditioned race at Pocono Downs in 2009. Sunburned Vern is a well-traveled campaigner — his 50 wins have been spread across 15 different racing surfaces.
Sunburned Vern started from post five. His competition set fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:26.2. He kicked from the back in the final quarter and bested his competition by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.4. He returned $8.80 to win.
Rosy Weaver of Beach City, Ohio owns and trains Sunburned Vern. Robin Miller was aboard for the winning drive.