After having only one card rained out since the end of June, the 2015 Pennsylvania Fair Circuit came to a squishy end here this week, with two of the three cards lost – the two-year-olds raced Tuesday, but the three-year-olds were washed out Wednesday and then the time-honored Bloomsburg Stakes for both age groups were cancelled today (Thursday).
The racing for freshmen on Tuesday gave some regular winners another chance to shine, the best example of which would be the Moonbeam – DVC Iblieveinangels pacing miss Unbeamlievable, who made it 12 straight and 14-13-1-0 along the twicearound trail this year with a 2:04 – 29 triumph.
Team Shaw – owner Mason, trainer Jason, and driver Chris – will take its second straight blanket in the 2PF category (the blanket for highest pointearner during the season is presented at the annual Fair Dinner following the USTA District meeting) after winning with Tropical Terror last year; Unbeamlievable also amassed the highest pointcount among any fair competitor.
On the sidewheeling colt side, the Well Said – Lionness Hanover colt Well Lets See did his best to take the top spot by running his summerlong total to 14-11-1-2 with a 2:05.2 – 28.2 win for driver Brandon Givens, trainer Kevin Lare, and owner Frank Chick.
But he was edged out at the top by Billy's Falcon (14-11-3-0), despite that one finishing second to Wagon Master, a Western Terror – Free At Last K colt who has stamped himself as a major factor for the October 10 Championship with his sixth triumph in his last eight fair trips to the gait for owner Bob Key, trainer Mike Gillock, and driver Brady Brown.
Starting from the trailing post seven, Billy's Falcon had to brush in 29.1 in the second quarter to go to the lead around Wagon Master, with that one having enough in the stretch to come back on and conquer his main foe in 2:01.1.
The Yankee Glide – Keystone Sirena trotting gelding Keystone Shotgun earned his divisional title after a 15-7-5-0 campaign by winning in 2:04.3 – 29.4 for Team Vivid Photo: owner-trainer-driver Roger Hammer and co-owner Todd Schadel.
But this division is probably the most contentious of all, with any of a half-dozen horses having a shot at the big money.
A Little Laid Back (15-12-2-0) had already clinched the trotting filly crown, but the winners at Bloomsburg were a reminder that she'll have to work to get to Victory Lane: they were the Great George Two – Bank Star miss Mckean County, 6-1-0 in her last eight starts, who won here in 2:04.4 – 1:00.2 – 30 over A Little Laid Back for driver Wayne Long and trainer John McMullen Jr., co-owner with Michele Mc Mullen; and Connie Jean, a Cantab Hall – Eclat Hanover filly who brought her fair record to 10-7-1-0 with a 2:06.3 score for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, who in partnership with The Estate Of George F Hempt Trust just purchased the filly from a group headed by newly-elected Hall of Famer Charles Keller III. (A Little Laid Back can take some comfort from the fact that she won her division's pointstandings for the second straight year for Team Hammer, following in the hoofprints of Peolesayimnogood – who was the only sophomore who repeated from being last year's pointsleader).
Here is a list of the eight PA Fair Sire Stakes blanketwinners – a group which has a distinctly red and blue (with gold trim) hue to it:
2TC – Keystone Shotgun, 15-7-5-0, longest winning streak (LWS) 4 of 5, owned by Roger Hammer and Todd Schadel, trained by Hammer;
2TF – A Little Laid Back (top trotting pointwinner overall), 15-12-1-0, LWS 6, owned and trained by Roger Hammer;
2PC – Billy's Falcon, 14-11-3-0, LWS 5, owned and trained by Roger Hammer;
2PF – Unbeamlievable (top pointwinner overall, the second straight year her stable has taken that title after 2PC Nippy's feat last year, and after stablemate Tropical Terror's 2014 win of this division), 14-13-1-0, LWS 12, owned by Mason Shaw and trained by his father Jason;
3TC – Wimborne Hanover (the only Championship winner at 2 winning the point title at 3, and also matching stablemate's Fly Past Hanover's 3YO point title last year), 13-10-1-1, LWS 6, owned by Susan Daugherty and trained by Bill Daugherty Jr.;
3TF – Peoplesayimnogood (the only 2YO point champion repeating at three), 12-7-3-0, LWS 5, owned and driven by Roger Hammer;
3PC – R N Nate (biggest point accumulator among 3YOs), 12-10-2-0, LWS 7, owner and trained by Roger Hammer;
3PF – Betterthanrevenge, 11-8-1-2, LWS 8, owned by Thomson Sisters Racing Stable and trained by Harold Brocklehurst.
And lastly, the top ten trainers and drivers of the 2015 Fair Circuit (corroborating the above).
DRIVERS TRAINERS
Roger Hammer 86 Roger Hammer 81
Chris Shaw 61 Jason Shaw 47
Brandon Givens 48 Todd Schadel 34
Brady Brown 45 Steve Schoeffel 30
Todd Schadel 32 Kevin Lare 20
Wayne Long 21 Mike Gillock 19
Aaron Johnston 14 Bill Daugherty Jr. 17
Steve Schoeffel 14 Harold Brocklehurst 12
Harold Brocklehurst 12 Gary Johnston 12
Shawn Johnston 12 Sam Beegle 11
Jerry Connors