Cover design by David Arbanas

Horse races open season

AIKEN - Famed horse trainer MacKenzie "Mac" Miller, who retired in 1995, says his adopted home always will be a preferred location for training horses because of its climate and soft soil.

But outside of the community of trainers and jockeys, he says the city's reputation for equestrian sports endures, primarily because of the Aiken Triple Crown.

For three consecutive Saturdays beginning tomorrow, tens of thousands of spectators will crowd area race tracks. Attendance on the weekends is only rivaled locally by the Battle of Aiken, a Civil War re-enactment.

The first leg of the Triple Crown is the Aiken Trials, a race in which many prize-earning horses have gained crucial track experience over the years.

"When I was actively training in Kentucky, they always looked forward to the results of the Trials, who the pedigree was, and all that," Mr. Miller said.

The trainer has been associated with a number of winning thoroughbreds, including Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero.

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Held annually since 1942 at the Aiken Training Track off Two Notch Road, the Trials offers a chance for young racing thoroughbreds to get used to performing in front of boisterous spectators.

Gates open at the field at 10:30 a.m. Tickets at the gate cost $10. Children 6 and under are admitted free. The first race begins at 2 p.m.

The second leg of the Triple Crown is the Aiken Steeplechase.

Held annually at Ford Conger Field, the Steeplechase is perhaps the most attended of the three races. It also is a precursor to higher-purse events for jumper horses competing in Camden and elsewhere.

Gates open at 9 a.m. March 22. Post time is 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the gate. Children 6 and under are admitted free.

The third leg is the Aiken Harness Races.

Held yearly at McGhees' Mile Track on Banks Mill Road, the Harness Races are the most laid back of the events, with bands playing alongside the horses as they compete.

Gates open at 10 a.m. March 29, with post time at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the gate for adults, $6 at the gate for children 6-11 and free for children under 6.

Jessie Curry, 6, and Caroline Burrell, 7, both of Aiken, look over Triple Crown stick horses at the Triple Crown Street Fair . STAFF/FILE

Aiken Mayor Fred Cavanaugh calls the Triple Crown "a tremendous asset to the city."

"It opens up the season. It's just a fun time," he said.

The city's annual Triple Crown street fair is from 6 to 11 tonight. Bands, games and street performers mark the festivities at the Newberry Street Festival Center.

Reach Matthew Boedy at (803) 648-1395 or matthew.boedy@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Friday, March 21, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle