Elloree Trials - Elloree Palmetto Jockey Club

The Elloree Trials is a Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing event held annually in Elloree, South Carolina. The track was built in 1940 on a geological depression called a savannah or Carolina Bay. It had hosted races for 10 years until a ban on pari-mutuel betting closed the track. The races resumed in 1963 and were held annually until the COVID pandemic kept the races from happening in 2020 and 2021. The event returned for one year in March 2022. Hard-working administrators, Margaret Anne Baker Garrett, and Mrs. Debbie Jobe, worked tirelessly each year to produce the Trials. Shortly after Debbie retired in late 2022, the beloved “Miss Anne” passed away. The Elloree Trials was not held in 2023. Shortly thereafter, a group of volunteers pulled together to work with the Elloree Training Center and the Smith Family to get the Trials “back on track”. The Elloree Palmetto Jockey Club (EPJC) was formed and brought the races back in 2024.The vision of EPJC is to be a catalyst in elevating Elloree as a top destination for family fun and relaxation through the annual Elloree Trials horse racing event. The mission of EPJC is to create a horsing racing event that is family friendly, fun, exciting, memorable, and affordable by offering a variety of viewing and participating options. 2024 brought a record crowd (6,000 people) to this small town of less than a 1,000. EPJC is a small organization of 10 members who volunteer our time to plan, organize, and execute an event that brings in horse owners, horse trainers, horse groomers, food vendors, sponsors, announcers, pageant contestants, anthem-singers, and volunteers to help with parking and admissions. We intend to continue and grow this annual event. March 22nd, 2025 will be the 60th running.