HARRINGTON, Del. – Nearly $600,000 in total purses will be at stake on Harrington Raceway’s richest program of the season Thursday, the annual Governor’s Day program at the Delaware State Fair.

A 13-race program will await race fans with a special 7 p.m. post time.

The $40,000 Governor’s Cup, an event for Delaware pacers ages 3 years and up, is always a popular event with local bragging rights at stake. The Honorable Governor Jack Markell, will be on hand to present the trophy to the winning connections in his last Governor’s Day while serving in a gubernatorial capacity. Foulk Stables’ Sparky Mark (5/2, Corey Callahan) is the morning line favorite for this year’s event in a competitive field of eight.

The Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund has four $100,000 final events for 3-year-olds culminating on the program.

 The filly pace is the first to get underway as the opening race on the program. Les Givens is a co-owner and trainer for one of the race favorites and Dover Downs final winner, Use Your Noodle (8/5, Jim Morand) who will meet her arch rival, Kdk Standardbreds’ Apple Bottom Jeans (3/2, Montrell Teague) for trainer Kevin Switzer. The pair have finished first and second on multiple occasions in the same race this year.

The filly trotting final will go post ward in the fifth race, as Cicada’s Song (2/1, Carlo Poliseno) will attempt to overcome post eight for owner Jane Dunavant in a quality field of rivals.

The male pacers and trotters will headline the later portion of the program as Syl King Jr.’s Chipoffthewall (2/1, Tony Morgan) will look to atone for some bad luck in previous DSBF events as the early favorite in race 9. He faces a stout field that has three other elimination winners, including JJ&M Stable and Seafood Delight Stable’s Seafood Scrappy (7/2, Ross Wolfenden) who won the $100,000 final at Dover Downs earlier this year.

Charles Perry Jr.’s John’s Dream (7/2, Wolfenden) and Henry Faragalli III, Nanticoke Racing and Bay Pond Racing Stable’s Next Success (3/1, Jim Morand) are among the top rivals in the final for pacing colts and geldings as the 11^th race. Both of the aforementioned rivals swept their elimination races with the latter prevailing in the $100,000 final at Dover Downs this year.

The $30,000 Legislators Cup, $30,000 Charles Murphy Memorial Trot and $12,500 Presidents Cup are also staples on the prestigious program. There will also be three $20,000 DSBF consolation events.

T-shirts will be thrown into the crowd during the latter portion of the program. 

 The Delaware State Fair will run through July 30 with the live racing meet at Harrington resuming August 15.