Montana Downs adds races to meet

MISSOULA, Mont. - Montana Downs will add six stakes races to the two-day meet at the Western Montana Fair in Missoula.

Racing will be conducted at the Missoula Fairgrounds for the first time since 2006 with a two-day meet on Friday, Aug. 13 and Saturday, Aug. 14 with the first race each day at noon.

Three stakes races have been added each day. Older thoroughbreds will have a chance to run for added money in the 5 1/4 furlong $2,500 added County Commissioners' Sprint Cup on Friday which will have a $100 entry fee with an estimated purse of $3,300.

The $2,400 added Missoula Overnight Quarter Horse Futurity and Missoula Overnight Paint Futurity, both for 2-year-olds, will also be offered on Friday. Both races will be contested over 300 yards and will have a $100 entry fee.

On Saturday Missoula racing will go tropical as, 3-year-old quarter horses will compete in the $2,400 added "Miss You So Badly" overnight Quarter Horse Derby while paints and appys get a chance to run for added money in the $2,400 added "Parrothead" Overnight Derby.

Thoroughbreds fillies and mares will also get a chance to run for added money Saturday in the $2,500 added Governor's Cup Filly and Mare Dash at 5 1/2 furlongs.

"We have a lot of interest for the Missoula meet," racing secretary John Petti stated. "We have had a lot of interest in Saturday's $5,000 added John Deere AQHA Challenge and I wanted to give horsemen coming up from Idaho and other states a chance to bring a few more horses. There is almost no doubt the quarter horse Futurity and Derby will fill and it gives us a better program at Missoula with better horses."

Entries for Friday's program will be taken on Tuesday, Aug. 10 while Saturday's entries will be taken on Wednesday, Aug. 11. The phone number to the racing office, which opens Monday, Aug. 9 is 1-877-mt-race-1. Horsemen are reminded that entries close at 11 a.m.

Information: www.montanadowns.com or (877) 687-2231