FULL SUMMER SCHEDULE OF HORSE RACING
Plans are well underway for the 2017 The Horses At Evergreen Park.
It starts on Saturday, July 8 and wraps up on Sunday, August 27.
In between there is going to be lots of exciting racing and some great events.
Highlight of the season will be the Alberta Derby on Sunday, July 30. This will be the third year Evergreen Park hosts the Derby. It was first held in 1931 and continued until 2008 in Calgary before finding its new home in Grande Prairie in 2015 at Evergreen Park. Purse for the Alberta Derby will be over $50,000.
Derby Day on July 30 will also include the Grande Prairie Derby.
“Derby Day has become one of the must-be-at events in Grande Prairie every year,” said Evergreen Park Marketing & Sponsorship Manager Don Moon. “It’s a fun day for everyone - Grande Prairie’s version of the Kentucky Derby with fancy hats and mint juleps included.”
Again this year the season will wrap up with the Mr. Mike’s Paint The Park Purple – Race For The Cure.
“This event is a fund-raiser for pancreatic cancer,” said Moon. “Our first one was last year and it was a huge success. We managed to generate a lot of funds for cancer research and the Park was very purple that day.”
Again this year there are a series of Bank of America Challenge Races at The Horses At Evergreen Park.
They include the Adequan Evergreen Park Derby Challenge (trials July 15 and finals July 30); Evergreen Park Maiden Challenge (July 28/August 11); Evergreen Park Distance Challenge (August 4/August 27): Merial Evergreen Park Distaff Challenge (August 6/August 20); John Deere Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge (August 5/August 20); Bank of America Evergreen Park Championship Challenge (August 12/August 27).
Racing fans this year will see more events at Gordon Badger Stadium.
“The goal is to have some fun event every weekend of racing,” said Moon.”Over the last few years we have started to cater to the younger crowd and they’re responding. Our age demographic has gotten significantly younger. A night or afternoon at the races is a fun time. There is no admission fee and you don’t have to bet if you don’t want to. You can enjoy the beauty of the horses without having to wager on them . . .but it can sometimes be a little more exciting if you put a few dollars down.”
Racing goes every Friday, Saturday and Sunday after the July 8th launch. Post time Fridays and Saturdays is 6:30 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday post times switch to 6 p.m. on August 18.
Evergreen Park does offer year-round racing with seven screens in the Pines Restaurant & Casino dedicated to races from across North America. There are two betting machines and race charts available for all of races on the screens.
The Park has also started a Racing Club that is purchasing two horses that will run at The Horses At Evergreen Park this summer.
There will be 200 shares sold at $250 each. You can purchase your share online by clicking here: Horse Club Registration
Here is the summer race schedule:
Saturday, July 8 6:30 p.m. Post Time (Special Event: Poor Man's Marathon First Leg over one mile)
Sunday, July 9: 1 p.m. Post Time (Special Events: Jerry Stojan Memorial Trials over 300 yards and Sprint Series First Leg over 5 1/2 furlongs)
Friday, July 14: 6:30 p.m. Post Time
Saturday, July 15: 6:30 p.m. Post Time (Special Events: Marathon Series First Leg over 51/2 furlongs; Evergreen Park Distance Challenge Trials over 870 yards; and Adequan Derby Challenge Trials over 400 yards)
Sunday, July 16: 1 p.m. Post Time (Special Event: Distaff Series First Leg over a mile; Albert Quarter Horse Racing Association Aged Final over 440 yards and Tiger Lily Insulation of 400 yards)
Friday, July 21: 6:30 p.m. Post Time
Saturday, July 22: 6:30 p.m. Post Time (Special Events: Blink of an Eye over 110 yards and Poor Man's Marathon Second Leg over 1 1/16 of a mile)
Sunday, July 23: 1 p.m. Post Time (Special Events: Jerry Stojan Memorial Finals over 300 yards and Sprint Series Second Leg over six furlongs)
Friday, July 28: 6:30 p.m. Post Time with feature race Evergreen Park Maiden Challenge Trials
Saturday, July 29: 6:30 p.m. Post Time (Special Event: Marathon Series Second Leg over 1 1/16 mile)
Sunday, July 30: 1 p.m. Post Time (Special Events: Alberta Derby over 1 1/16 mile; Grande Prairie Derby over one mile; Distaff Series Second Leg over six furlongs; Adequan Derby Challenge Finals over 400 yards; Evergreen Park Challenge over 870 yards; and Peace Country Futurity over five furlongs)
Friday, August 4: Post Time 6:30 p.m. with feature race Evergreen Park Distance Challenge Trials
Saturday, August 5: Post Time 6:30 p.m. (Special Events: John Deere Juvenile Challenge Trials over 350 yards and Poor Man's Marathon Third Leg over 1 1/8 mile)
Sunday, August 6: Post Time 1 p.m. (Special Events: Evergreen Park Maiden Challenge Trials over 350 yards and Spring Series Third Leg over 6 1/2 furlongs)
Friday, August 11: Post Time 6:30 p.m. (Special Event: Bank of America Trials over 440 yards)
Saturday, August 12: Post Time 6:30 p.m. (Special Events: Marathon Series Third Leg over 1 1/8 mile and Merial Distaff Challenge Trials over 400 yards)
Sunday, August 13: Post Time 1 p.m. (Special Events: Evergreen Park Paints Stakes over 300 yards; Distaff Series Third Leg over 6 1/2 furlongs and John MacLeod Memorial over 870 yards)
Friday, August 18: Post Time 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 19: Post Time 6 p.m.
Sunday, August 20: Post Time 1 p.m. (Special Events: John Deere Juvenile Challenge Finals over 350 yards and Evergreen Park Maiden Challenge Finals over 350 yards)
Friday, August 25: Post Time 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 26: Post Time 6 p.m. (Special Events: Future Stakes over six furlongs; Bank of America Finals over 440 yards and Merial Distaff Challenge Finals over 400 yards)
Sunday, August 27: Post Time 1 p.m. (Special Events: Mr. Mike's Paint The Park Purple over six furlongs; Juvenile O/N Stakes over 300 yards and Lafleur Stakes over six furlongs)