GRATZ PA – Even though the sophomore trotters and pacers produced five miles in 2:00 or less at the Gratz Fairgrounds Monday in this eastcentral Pennsylvania town – on a circuit that had seem only 18 magic miles in its previous stops this year – the most sensational racing was generated on Sunday by the harness racing freshmen, with two babies not only breaking their respective Gratz track marks, but also posting the fastest time for age/sex/gait in the history on the Pennsylvania fair circuit.
In 2017, when one reads the words "Pennsylvania fair," "fast mile," and "two-year-old," the words "Venier Hanover" usually aren't far behind, and indeed the gelded son of Well Said-Valmctorian added more luster to his shining record by winning in 1:56.4 for trainer/driver Dave Brickell, also co-owner with Mitchell York. Besides lowering the Gratz 2PC from the 1:58.1 put up by Ya Gotta Go in 2010, it was also the fastest mile by a two-year-old ever at a PA fair, a fifth better than the quality miles coming from a quintet of horses: Dixie Pride and Shu Hanover (both 2003 at Bloomsburg), Evening Shadows (2010 at Port Royal), Gordo (2014) and Artists Ruffles (2016, the latter two at Bedford). The fast clocking was also his seventh track record at the fairs this season, and his sixth 2:00 mile, both at the top of all lists.
The other multi-record eclipser was the Explosive Matter-Nan's Conway filly, who went fractions of 29.2, 59.3, and 1:30.2 on the engine before stopping the timer in 2:00.3, lowering the Gratz mark of 2:01.4 (first set in 2013 by Glide By Shooting and then equaled last year by All Set Lets Go, whose name you'll read later), and also wiping out the all-time Keystone twicearound mark for 2TFs of 2:01.1, set by Shesfastandfurious back in 2006. Wayne Long guided the winner to the record time for trainer Bob Rougeaux III and the Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
The fastest winners of the other two divisions also set 2017 PA fair "season's records": the freshman trotting gelding by Andover Hall-Girls' Getaway, Grapple Hanover, who won in 2:03.1 for trainer/driver Wayne Long, and the Well Said-Goddess's Princess pacing filly Geisha Seelster, closing in 29.1 to win in 2:00.2 for trainer/driver Roger Hammer. All four freshmen thus set PA Fairs' seasonal's records – and ironically, the previous standard broken by all four were their own.
Turning to the sophomores, the fans wanted to see if two fillies could extend long winning streaks. First up was the Donato Hanover trotting filly All Set Lets Go, as mentioned previously the local standardholder for 2TFs, and while she didn't need to set a record to win her heat, her 2:02.1 triumph for driver Roger Hammer, trainer John McMullen Jr., and his family's McMullen Stable LLC was her eleventh straight at the fairs, the longest current streak.
Her pacing counterpart, Bella Ragaza, had taken nine races in succession before her Monday race, but after setting the pace she was caught in the lane, settling for second. But it was no fluke that beat her – it was the Dragon Again filly Camera Lady, last year's winningest two-year-old in North America, and currently a winner of six of her last seven fair outings after winning in 1:59.4 for "Team Venier" – trainer/driver Dave Brickell, co-owner with Mitchell York. This dup completed a sweep in the 3PF ranks with the Moon Beam filly Cajun Moonlite, who went a tick faster than her stablemate.
On the colt side of things, the fastest trotter and pacer pushed the fair record of the Burke Brigade to 9-for-9 in 2017. The Yankee Glide gelding New Heaven became the first sub-2:00 performer on his gait on the local cotton candy circuit, making up five lengths in the stretch while winning in 1:59.3; among the pacers Midway Island was a bullyboy front-end winner, stepping home in 57.4-28.2 to win in 1:56.3. Chris Shaw drove both winners for Burke, and the fast three-year-olds are both owned by the combine of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and David Wills.
For the meet, Eric Neal and Roger Hammer both crossed the wire first, helping Hammer reduce Chris Shaw's seasonal advantage to 59-56. Hammer, Dave Brickell, and Todd Schadel each sent out three winners from their barn to top that column; Hammer has 51 winning trainees for the season and will not be caught.
The horses on the PA fair circuit earn their way into their rich Championship races by accumulating points throughout the season based on finish, on a 35-25-15-10-8-5-4-2-1 basis, with 9 for a rainout. At the top of these tables, All Set Lets Go and Bella Ragaza are exactly even after 19 of the 20 stops, each with 418 points (ASLG 12-11-0-1 with two rainouts, BR 12-10-2-0 with two rainouts).
But some of the most heated competition when the circuit ends its year at Bloomsburg this Friday (3 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m.) will be among the horses who are very close in points to a bunch of rivals who could make the final with a superior performance at "Blom" – and there are several of this kind of horse in nearly every one of the eight divisions.
Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association