Utah Quarter Horse Racing hosting Utah Classic and Kids Day on Sat. June 14.
Stick Horse Races and free admission for kids under 12 in South Jordan
Quarter Horse racing will close out the 2003 season in the Salt Lake area on Sat. June 14 at the Salt Lake Equestrian Park in South Jordan. The final race of the 2003 season will also feature Kids Day at the Horse Races with kids under 12 admitted for free.
The Utah horseracing season will conclude with the Utah Classic Futurity and a purse of about $100,000 on Sat beginning at noon. Jockeys, trainers, and horse owners will be looking for the opportunity to earn a top spot in the prestigious Utah Classic event, which will complete the Utah horse racing season in Salt Lake. St. George will host a pair of races in Sept.
Quarter Horse racing in South Jordan will also feature Salt Lake radio personality and Bountiful resident Cowboy Ted, as he hosts events for the kids with Stick Horse Races beginning at noon on Saturday. There will also be roping contests and other kid's events during the horse races, which showcases a solid family atmosphere during the wager-free environment in South Jordan Utah. Kids under 12 will be admitted for free.
The racing docket will feature 5 races beginning at noon on Sat. June 14 for the Utah Classic to be held in South Jordan. Despite the fact that there is no pari-mutuel betting allowed in Utah, Quarter Horse racing has been featured at Laurel Brown Race Track in South Jordan for over 30 years.
The Utah Quarter Horse Association, under the direction of former jockey Billy Peterson, has developed a system to allow fans to choose their favorite racehorse without taking any financial risk. Fans are given a packet of numbers as they enter the facility. Their number is then placed in buckets corresponding to the horse they think will win. The numbers from the bucket corresponding to the winning horse then go into a drawing for prizes, which have been donated by local merchants.
Peterson is savvy about the sport of horse racing after spending eight years as a jockey. He was the leading rider in Utah and New Mexico before moving on to become a top rider at races at Los Alamitos, Santa Anita, Del Mar and Hollywood Park in California. Peterson has been involved with horse racing for over 20-years and has served as the top man for the racing division of the UQHA for the past four years.
The Morgan native is recognized as one of the top jockeys in the nation. He rode a horse named Winalota Cash for over $2 million in earnings - that record is second best in horse racing history. Peterson retired in 1996.
Gates open for Quarter Horse racing at noon on Sat. and post time is 1 PM. Tickets are available at the gate at the Salt Lake Equestrian Park (10800 South 2200 West) and are priced at $5 for adults with kids under 12 admitted for free. Log on to www.uqha.com for information about Quarter Horses.
Utah Quarter Horse Association 2003 Horse Racing Schedule
Laurel Brown Race Track - South Jordan
June 14
Purgatory Cup - St. George
September 12-13
September 26-27