SKOWHEGAN – Harness racing at the Skowhegan State Fair has become quite the tradition, with more than 100 years of consecutive racing, according to Tom Dillon, the fair’s superintendent of racing.

The fair hopes to continue its racing success starting Sunday with cooperative weather and a few special races over the course of the week.

Like all fairs in the state, weather is the largest factor in determining the success of fair harness racing. A poor stretch of weather can cripple racing at a fair as most fairs race for a week at the most.

“Fairs are all about weather, people may talk about a nice midway, they may talk about this and that, but really it’s about weather. If it rains for the week it’s going to be a disaster,” said Dillon.

The Skowhegan State Fair race week is highlighted by the Hight Memorial Race, which will feature some of the fastest horses at the track and has a purse of $6,000.

That race is part of the fair’s final racing card on Saturday, Aug. 21.

“I think a lot of people come on that last Saturday because we have special horses, faster horses. It’s a better grade of horses, a lot of them from out-of-state,” said Dillon.

In addition to the large purse, Hight Chevrolet, the race’s sponsor, is offering a $4,000 bonus to any horse that breaks the track’s record of 1:55.0

In addition to the Hight Memorial Race, the track will feature eight races of the Maine Sire Stakes, one race from each division.

“[The Maine Sire Stakes] brings in some different people, because there are a lot of people associated just with the locally owned in-state bred horses,” said Dillon.

Last year the track averaged a handle of roughly $50,000 a day, with a high of about $100,000 on the last day, according to Dillon. This includes both live handle and simulcast handle, as the track simulcasts to different off-track-betting facilities in the state.

The fair began Thursday, and racing begins Sunday, with racing through the week until Saturday. Racing begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Friday and Saturday and at 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The Maine Sire Stakes races continued this week at Topsham Fair, with a few key upsets.

In the 2-year-old colt trotter division, points leader Westridgenogossip was defeated by Another Judge, owned by Doug Hutchins and Ivan Davies. Westridgegossip is atop the division with 200 points and with four wins, followed by Virtuous One with 87 points, and Another Judge with 54 points.

In the 2-year-old filly pacers division, Blond Moment, driven by Jason Bartlett, upset point leader Baton with the fastest time of the evening at 1:59.4. Baton sits at the top of the division with 212 points, followed by Abbes In Town with 163 points and Blond Moment with 112 points.

Sweet Birdie won the other race of the 2-year-old filly pacers division with a time of 2:06.3. Sweet Birdie, also driven by Bartlett, sits in fourth place in the division with 91 points.

The 3-year-old filly pacers division also saw an upset as Surfine Baileycat defeated points leader Grace Is Amazing in Presque Isle with a time of 2:01.3. After five races Grace Is Amazing still leads the division with 180 points, followed by Kandy Corners with 137 and Surefine Baileycat with 121.