The arrival of summer also means the arrival of the Indiana Sired Fair Circuit (ISFC). The series is now 10 days away and will launch at the Converse Fairgrounds Thursday, June 3.
Big Gulp went undefeated in the ISFC last season at two for the Yoder family and trainer-driver Jay Cross. Photo by Tammy Knox
The ISFC will visit 10 locations in Indiana this season. With the exception of two fairs, Noble County in Kendallville and Newton County in Kentland, each location will host multiple events during the summer. The Converse Fairgrounds will host two days Thursday, June 3 and Friday, June 4 with action then held weekly leading up to the Indiana State Fair Governor’s Cup Championship races set for early August. The series, which was established in 2020, was adjusted due to COVID-19 closures last season.
Following the Governor’s Cup Championships in August, a second series will be held for those two and three-year-olds that are non-winners of $10,000 on the year. These horses will compete in the ISFC for the remainder of the season.
The Governor’s Cup Championships will also see a boost in purse money. Initially, the boost was to go in effect for the kick off of the Governor’s Cup last season, but after closures in the spring, the purses remained at 2019 levels. This year’s finals will go for $25,000 with the consolation going for $10,000.
Nominations are strong for the ISFC. A total of 84 freshman colt and gelding pacers are nominated followed by 80 freshman colt and gelding trotters. In the freshman filly division, 88 pacing fillies are nominated and 69 trotting fillies have been nominated.
A total of 59 three-year-old pacing colts and geldings are nominated with 51 sophomore pacing fillies nominated. In the trotting ranks, 36 three-year-old fillies are eligible with 41 trotting colts and geldings nominated to the series.
Following the kickoff at Converse, the ISFC will travel to Corydon to the Harrison County Fairgrounds for action Thursday, June 10 and Friday, June 11 before returning to Converse June 16 & 17 for another round of racing.