The Aiken Fall Steeplechase kicked off Saturday morning, with the gates to racecourse at 2020 Richland Ave. opening at 8 a.m. followed by a host of festivities until the first race at 1 p.m.
An estimated 15,000 spectators were in attendance, congregating at the pavilion, or perusing through the Village of Shops tent. While the event’s spring counterpart usually draws upwards of 30,000 visitors, this year’s autumn races had several reasons to count as exceptional, including a $220,000 purse, the largest in Aiken Steeplechase’s history.
“We have seven races today. We had so many horses in the third race, we had to split that into two races, so the third and the fourth are the same race,” said Frank Mullins, president of the Aiken Steeplechase Association, explaining that Charleston Steeplechase hosted two of its races in Aiken, Saturday: the historic Alston Cup, and the S.C. Jockey Club Cup. The Charleston Steeplechase had it cancel its own races, as drought in the area made the grounds too dry and rough for safe riding, leading it to hold the races in Aiken and raising the amount of the purse “So it’s a huge field of horses today.”
The S.C. Jockey Club Cup has its own historic pedigree, drawing from the horse racing organization formed by low country South Carolina gentry in 1758, and operating until the turn of the century.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
