AIKEN - The stage is set for today's Aiken Trials, and the forecast calls for good weather and the good times that come with it.
The temperature is expected to reach 65 degrees with clear skies.
That forecast would contrast with last year's event, which was struck with bone-chilling cold and rains that turned the parking area into a muddy sea of puddles.
"I bet it's going to be packed," said Sgt. David Turno, of Aiken Public Safety, which provides security for the event along with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.
|
Elias Sanchez bushes Knievel at Legacy Stables after an early morning workout. Knievel will be running in the Cup of Aiken race, race number 6, Saturday at the Trials in Aiken, Friday.
Ron Cockerille/The Augusta Chronicle
|
"A beautiful day really tends to bring the people out," he said.
Organizers of this year's event, which features local thoroughbreds racing in quarter-mile or half-mile sprints, agree. Ticket sales are up 15 percent from last year, and about 300 packages have been sold.
The race, in its 62nd running, is just the first leg of horse excitement in Aiken this month. The remaining events of the Triple Crown are rounded out by the Aiken Steeplechase at Ford Conger Field next Saturday and the Aiken Polo Round Robin Tournament at the Powderhouse Polo Fields on March 27.
Past Trials have brought in crowds estimated as large as 15,000. The Aiken Training Track and land around it should be more than capable of handling parking for today's event, Sgt. Turno said. However, parking is prohibited on Two Notch Road and Mead Avenue, two dirt lanes that border the track.
Officials are more wary about the Steeplechase event, which has pulled in crowds of about 30,000 people and has limited parking this year because the Powderhouse Polo Fields can no longer be used for parking. The field will be the site of the third leg of the Triple Crown, which has been shifted from harness horse racing to polo this year.
Makeshift parking lots that sprung up in Aiken's Horse District and nearby neighborhoods have been outlawed this year, Sgt. Turno said. Patrons have been asked to park inside the event and pay for tickets in advance.
"If people end up parking where they're not supposed to, they'll be towed," Sgt. Turno said. "I think because of the early warnings that we've been giving people that there shouldn't be a problem."
Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 279-6895 or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
