RUS NY Fair Series Final Just Days Away

Heather Reese and Jeanie Marie (outside position) and Sophie Engerran and Funny Photo are seen nose-to-nose at Otsego County Fair in Morris. 

The race that so many have been working all summer for is finally almost here. 

The countdown is on. In less than a week, horses and riders will be competing to capture the title of the New York Racing Under Saddle Fair Series.

This year’s RUS New York Fair Series championship will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at Batavia Downs with the New York Sire Stake’s County Fair Finals. Post time is set for 6:15 p.m.

The RUS event is a non-wagering event that will be raced after race nine at about 8:50 p.m. 

This marks the third year of the series, which included 12 races at 9 fairs across the state and a race at Saratoga Harness Track. Horses earned points during the series to determine final entries.

In order to be eligible for the final, horses needed to compete and finish in any two races. Fifteen horses participated in the series with nine qualifying to race in the final. This year’s field will consist of five horses. 

Horses Entered In The Final: 

Jeanie Marie- This is the first year Jeanie Marie has been used under saddle. The mare leads the group with 176 points. She has raced in five races winning three. She was a close second to Funny Photo in Palmyra. Jeanie Marie’s worst finish was Tuesday in Saratoga where she placed eighth with a new rider. 

Jeanie Marie will be starting in post position #4. She has mostly been ridden by Heather Reese, and the two of them are a strong team.

Jeanie Marie seen with rider Heather Reese, left, and trainer Jennifer Sansone, right, after her win at Owego. 

Funny Photo- Is second in points with 145, but could be considered a favorite because he and rider Sophie Engerran have shown good speed on the big and small tracks. Funny Photo won a race at Vernon Downs in a time of 1:59.1. The duo has captured three wins on fair tracks only losing one when they were placed down for not loosing ground when making a break. 

Engerran started racing under saddle in France in 2004. She raced there for 10 years. Funny Photo and Engerran were introduced last year when the horse was being trained by Andy Gardner at Vernon Downs. Engerran broke the dark chestnut to ride and had success on the track and decided to purchase him last November.  According to Engerran, it was not planned to race at the fairs this year because Funny is more comfortable on big tracks, but she said they gave it a try and the horse seems to enjoy it.

Sophie Engerran and Funny Photo at Vernon Downs. 

Admirable Hanover - Is not far behind in points (138), but shows to be more of a threat on the fair tracks. Batavia may pose as a challenge for the 9-year-old gelding and his rider Vanessa Karlewicz. The duo, who will be starting on the rail, has shown improvement as the season has moved forward so don’t totally count them out. They captured victories in both Morris and Bath and finished mid-pack on the bigger Saratoga track. 

This marks Karlewicz’s second season with Admirable Hanover and her first year participating in RUS on a regular basis. The rider said she mostly used Admirable in the amateur driving series last year. 

“He's a pretty handy horse on the fair tracks and I've been happy to have three wins with him this year,” she said.

Vanessa Karlewicz and Admirable Hanover at Goshen Historic Track. 

My Friend Charlie- Will be defending his title. This 5-year-old gelding and his rider, Andrea Pratt, were named the winners of last year’s fair final in Monticello. This duo has raced on three fair tracks this year earning two seconds and a fourth. 

In July, Pratt rode Charlie to a second-place finish at Vernon Downs in a time of 2:02.1. The pair has a total of 59 points and placed sixth in the final race of the series in Saratoga. Charlie seems to like the bigger tracks better so having the final at a larger track may give this team an added edge. They will be starting in post position #2.

Andria Pratt and My Friend Charlie at Otsego County Fair in Morris.

Kash Now- Is the longest shot on the board so to speak (as there is no betting on RUS). This is the only horse that no longer races in harness. She was ridden by Michelle Miller in the first fair series where the two of them learned to race under saddle together. The duo didn’t make a comeback until mid-season in Morris as Miller was using another horse. 

The 12-year-old mare had not raced in almost two years, but was used to ride and keep Miller in shape. Kash has always struggled to finish strong, but has been getting stronger each outing.  This duo will be starting in post position #3 and really has their work cut out for them. Kash and Miller have earned 50 points in four races. 

Michelle Miller and Kash Now at Saratoga Harness Track

All participants will earn $800 for earning their way into the championship race. Batavia Downs is contributing $1,000 toward the final purse and the rest of money comes from RUS NY sponsors and fundraising. The New York Sire Stakes is the series’ flagship sponsor and  generously donates $5,000 as initial purse money. 

The winner will also receive a championship saddle pad donated by Everett Hopper of Advantage Edge Equine-Pro and a halter and lead line gifted by Divine Equine Custom Equipment. 

A High Point Rider Award will once again be presented at the final to the rider who has earned the most points, regardless of horse(s) ridden throughout the series.  To be eligible for the award riders must participate in at least three races. 

The current standings of qualified riders for the Rider Award are as follows: Heather Reese (250), Funny Photo (145), Vanessa Karlewicz (138),  Ashley Eldred (137), Michelle Miller (125), Michelle Crawford (95), Hillary Hartnett (62),  and Andrea Pratt (59). No matter the outcome of the final, Reese has earned enough points to take on the honor this year. 

What is Racing Under Saddle: 

Also known as Monte Racing, RUS, is a hybrid between harness racing and thoroughbred racing. The sport consists of a rider atop a Standardbred (generally a trotter) in a saddle instead of pulling a sulky.  RUS is an exciting part of international standardbred racing and is conducted daily at most european tracks as part of their regular pari-mutuel wagering programs. The sport  has seen a surge in popularity  in the U.S. the past few years.

The Fair Series is organized by RUS NY, an organization that helps coordinate and promote under saddle races across the state. The main goal is to promote the unique sport,  educate about the versatility of the Standardbred breed as both a racing and a riding horse and to help Standardbreds find great homes after they finish their days on the track.

To keep up on RUS NY happenings follow the group on  Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. 

• Facebook.com/RUSNYSeries
• Twitter.com/RUS_NewYork
• http://rus-newyork.blogspot.com
• Rus-newyork.com