By Great Falls Tribune Staff • July 30, 2010
Horse racing returns to Montana Expo Park this afternoon with a nine-race card that kicks off State Fair.

Post time is 4:30 p.m. and racing continues both Saturday and Sunday at 1:30.

The feature race this afternoon is sponsored by the Great Falls Tribune and will be the eighth race on the card. It's an allowance race for 3-year-olds and up and the Tribune is boosting the purse to $2,300. The race will have seven Thoroughbreds, and the race features five horses who have won already this year.

The early favorite figures to be Skimming Song, ridden by Bill Christian, a horse that's finished in the money all five races this year.

Snickel Fritz, ridden by Neil Carlson, also looks good after winning last week at this meet. The field will run 5 1/4 furlongs.

The ninth and final race also should be a good one, a $5,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up who haven't won in their careers.

Racing fans should bring plenty of suntan lotion since it's likely to be 90 degrees by the time the first horses go to the post.

Warm weather helped last weekend as Montana Downs opened the race meet with three nice days of racing. In 28 races, Montana Downs generated $144,000 in pari-mutuel handle and had 186 horses compete.

The biggest and most lucrative stakes races of the meet will be held Saturday and Sunday. Parimutuel pools generally are as much as $20,000 higher on the final weekend of racing, so fans will have ample opportunity to wager successfully.

 Montana Downs also will be operating a race meet in Missoula at the Western Montana Fair.

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