Harness Racing

Did you know? ………. Harness Racing is offered at 66 of the 95 fairs in Ohio!

Did you know…… In 1891 the Champaign County Fair used harness horses fixed to racing sulkies with a wagon wheel design? In 1892 they were suspended with a pneumatic design. Today, sulkies still use a pneumatic suspension and bicycle style tires allowing harness racing to run much faster.

RACE OFFICE: 937-653-2643 | Randy Leopard 937-215-8313

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APRIL STAR
1941 – 1972

Few horses have ever had a story as remarkable as April Star, a Standardbred pacer whose journey from a critically injured foal to one of America’s greatest harness racehorses began in Urbana, making him the most celebrated harness racehorse ever produced in Champaign County.

Foaled in 1941 in Urbana, April Star’s future nearly ended before it began. Just days after birth, he suffered a broken right rear leg when his dam accidentally stepped on or kicked him. Most horses would have been euthanized, but owner and breeder Roy L. Craig refused to give up. April Star was transported to The Ohio State University for surgery, where he made what many considered a miraculous recovery.

Once healthy enough to race, April Star proved to be extraordinary. By 1945 he had won 20 of his 49 starts, and in 1946 he repeated that feat with another 20 victories, including the prestigious National Pacing Derby. His toughness earned him the nickname “The Iron Horse” because he frequently raced—and won—twice in the same week.

His greatest season came in 1947, when April Star became one of the nation’s premier harness horses. He set a world record over 1¼ miles in the Golden West Pace Championship in California with a time of 2:32, later established another world record in the Roosevelt Two-Mile Pace with a time of 4:20, and finished the year as the leading money-winning harness horse in the United States.

April Star never lost his connection to Champaign County. After living an impressive 31 years, he was laid to rest in a place of honor inside the infield at the Champaign County Fairgrounds racetrack, where generations of fairgoers and harness racing fans continue to remember him.

His legacy extends beyond racing records. April Star symbolizes the resilience, determination, and agricultural heritage that have long defined Champaign County. Harness racing has been a centerpiece of the Champaign County Fair for well over a century, making April Star not only a champion racehorse but also an enduring ambassador for the county’s rich equine tradition.

In recognition of his remarkable career, April Star was inducted into the Ohio Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2012, ensuring that his incredible story—from an injured foal in Urbana to an international harness racing champion—will continue to inspire future generations.
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Ohio Colt Racing

Signature Series Race

Entries-Click Here

-Lasix Veterinarian on grounds.
-Current negative Coggins test is required.
-All entries close at 10AM three (3) days before scheduled race. (Sunday counted)
-OSRC and USTA rules to govern with exceptions. Rules of OCRA and BSS to govern Stake Races.
-Signature Series raced under published conditions.
-EIN or SSN for owners are required before any purse money will be paid.
-The Champaign County Fair reserves the right to postpone, declare off, change the program or refuse any entry. Six to enter, five to start.