DAYTON PA – The two-year-old trotting filly Nicole Hanover won her harness racing career debut in June at the Dayton Fairgrounds, and on Thursday she returned to the track and posted a new track record for age, sex, and gait with a 2:03.4 victory.
The daughter of Explosive Matter, driven by trainer Robert Rougeaux III for the Brocious Racing Stable Inc., came home in 29.4 en route to shaving 2/5 of a second off the previous local standard, set by Lovebeinglucky one year, one month, and one day previously. The time was also faster than the best clocking produced by a baby colt trotter or a sophomore filly trotter.
Her colt counterpart in winning the "A" Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stake was the Andover Hall gelding Grapple Hanover, whose 2:05.4 victory enabled him to remain second in that division's standings behind Hockey Hanover, winningest freshman trotter in North America with eight. Trainer Wayne Long guided the fast youngster for owners Bill Kreutzer and Denton Barrett.
(It's appropriate that the first two horses featured were under the guidance of Long and Rougeaux – Wayne was the leading driver at the meet with four wins, while Bob conditioned an equal number of success stories to take that crown.)
On the freshman pacing side, Venier Hanover returned to the track where the legend started, when he paced in 1:58 in his second lifetime start to miss the all-age track record of J T Arturo by a mere fifth. On Thursday Venier Hanover stepped home identical back quarters of 29.1 to stop the timer in 2:01.1 for his sixth fair win for trainer/driver Dave Brickell, co-owner with Mitchell York. Venier Hanover came back on short rest, having on Monday been third in a pari-mutuel Sire Stakes at The Meadows after having the lead in the stretch.
The two-year-old filly pacers rate a mention since one of their "B" cuts went from a "Krenitsky walkover" to a "Krenitsky walkover." Trainer Bob Krenitsky Jr. dropped in the only two starters declared, Boys Move Over and TSM Gusta T, so he was assured of 100% of the $2600 purse; then TSM Gusta T was scratched, so Boys Move Over completed a "traditional walkover" in 2:13 for trainer Krenitsky Jr., driver Eric Neal, and owner Julie Krenitsky.
The three-year-olds had their day on Wednesday, with the Yankee Cruiser pacing gelding Ginger Tree Marty pacing to his fifth 2:00 mile of the fair season and seventh fair victory (the last six in a row), motoring home in 57 – 28 to complete the 2:00 triumph for trainer-driver Sam Beegle and the ownership of Ginger Tree Stable LLC and Bob Reber.
And finally – remember the point above where we noted Wayne Long was the meet's leading driver and Bob Rougeaux III the leading trainer? The race that assured that split was the fastest trot mile of the session, when the Lucky Chucky gelding Vegas Chuck tallied in 2:03.1 for Brocious Racing Stable Inc. and Lone Wolf Stable — and driver Long and trainer Rougeaux!
Next stop on the PA fair circuit is at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Meadville PA, with two cards starting at 11 a.m. – the Wednesday races featuring two-year-olds and the Boots Dunn Memorial FFA Pace, and the Thursday card spotlighting three-year-olds and the Boots Dunn Memorial FFA trot.
Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association