MONTANA DOWNS OPENS GREAT FALLS MEET

July 28, 2010 - Montana Downs opened its first weekend of races at the Expo Park in Great Falls on Friday and will continue next weekend.

The opening weekend featured 29 races over the three days, including the trials to the Charles Russell Futurity and Derby. Last year, the track raced five days, with a two-day opening weekend and three-day closing weekend.

"They only ran two days (on opening weekend) last year, and with three days this year, we’re up 57.5 percent," said Duayne Didericksen, an AQHA director and the Racing Council chair who is assisting with the meet. "Comparing to Saturday and Sunday last year, we are up 19 percent this year. The crowds are up, and we’re taking entries today for Saturday and it looks like the fields are going to stay pretty full. We only have an eight horse gate, but they’re averaging about 7.5 horses per gate."

Chickies Bulldoger was on Friday the fastest qualifier to the $15,000-est. Charles Russell Futurity, while Eyesa Lane topped the runners for the Charles Russell Derby.

The richest race of opening weekend was won by Apollos Easy Money. Owned and trained by Darren Peacock, the 3-year-old gelding won the $5,000 Big Sky Challenge Handicap (part of the John Deere Bonus Challenge series, it is not a stakes) by a length over stablemate Ima Special Stoli. Apollos Easy Money, who was ridden by Zack Bacon, also finished fifth two days earlier in the Charles Russell Derby trials, while his stablemate was eighth in an allowance on the same day.

The Charles Russell Derby is July 31, while the Futurity is August 1.

The races then move to Montana Downs at Missoula, where at the Western Montana Fairgrounds they will race August 13-14. The Kalispell meet at the Northwest Montana Fair will run August 21-22.

"I can tell you from visiting with the people up here that the community is really excited to have racing back in Missoula," Didericksen said. "I know in the past that’s been one of the better race meets in Montana. So they’re expecting big things out of Missoula, even though they’re only running two days. I know the horsemen that are going are excited about going back to Missoula."

Racing in Montana, which included three days in May at the Bucking Horse Sale Racing in Miles City, will close with the Yellowstone Downs meet in Billings. The eight-day meet opens August 28 and closes September 19.

For more information on Montana Downs, visit their website.