BLOOMSBURG PA – If it turns out that Roger Hammer is one victory short of a milestone win whenever he decides to end his illustrious harness racing sulky career, he’ll remember the name “Billy’s Falcon.”
On Thursday, the last day of a 3-day harness meet at the fairgrounds in this northeast Pennsylvania town, and the last fair on the 2016 Pennsylvania twicearound tour, all eight divisions of the Bloomsburg Stakes, worth $38,255, were carded. In the opening race, the three-year-old colt pace, Hammer looked forward to a walkover with Billy’s Falcon, as his horse was the only one to declare.
But then it rained Wednesday night into Thursday, the track was rendered unraceable, and the Bloomsburg Stakes were canceled – a squishy end to a great year on the Keystone fair trail.
Hammer still got the money – all $3,344 of it – and the other seven events had their purses divided equally among all those who declared in. But money can’t buy experience and conditioning – which is why the PA-sired two-year-olds suffered a double blow at Bloomsburg, with their Tuesday Sire Stakes being washed out, then joined in rainout by their Bloomsburg Stake events Thursday.
That leaves 20 days between their last Sire Stakes contests, a week ago Sunday at Gratz, and their $25,000 divisional Fair Championships at The Meadows a week from this coming Saturday. You can be sure that some horsemen will be scrambling to find qualifiers and still-undrawn overnight races for early next week, so that their stock can be in top fettle for the Championships.
But even the rain couldn’t spoil what was an excellent season on the Pennsylvania fair circuit, which saw no fewer than 36 track record miles, including the rewriting or equaling of all-age standards at three ovals, and 24 miles in 2:00 or less.
The following is a short statistical summary of the Pennsylvania fair season, leading with a listing of the top pointwinners based on finish position at the various fairs at which they competed (or were rained out); all of the leading pointwinners will receive a blanket color-coded to their stable colors at the annual Pennsylvania Fair Banquet on January 14. 2017 in Bedford PA:
2TC – TOOLBOX TUESDAY, an altered son of Broadway Hall trained by Roger Hammer, who is also co-owner with Vicki Fair; six fair wins, most in his division, and three track records.
2TF – NO NOT YET, a daughter of Tom Ridge trained by Gary Johnston for owner Dr. William Solomon; tied for her divisional lead with five fair victories.
2PC — MARVALOUS ARTIST, a Delmarvalous gelding trained by Roger Hammer, who is co-owner with Vicki Fair; eight fair victories, second in the division only to stablemate Artists Ruffles’ 10, and one track record.
2PF – CAMERA LADY, a daughter of Dragon Again trained by Dave Brickell, also co-owner with Mitchell York; started her fair campaign with 14 straight victories, including a track record, then lost by a nose in her 15th (and what turned out to be last) fair start at Gratz.
3TC – MAJOR MATTER, an Explosive Matter gelding trained by Rick Beinhauer, who is also co-owner with Regina Beinhauer; six fair wins, opening his fair campaign by tying the all-age track trot mark at Wattsburg with a 2:04 mile — also defending divisional Champion.
3TF – A LITTLE LAID BACK, repeating as divisional pointsleader, a Great George Two filly trained and owned by Roger Hammer; six fair triumphs to lead her group, and three track records.
3PC – STAR OF TERROR, an altered son of Western Terror trained by Jason Shaw for owners Fortunate One LLC; eleven wins at the fairs, five of them in 2:00 or less to lead all fair campaigners, and equaled the all-age track pace record at Butler, 2:00.2, among three track records.
3PF – UNBEAMLIEVEABLE, repeating as divisional pointsleader, a daughter of Moon Beam trained by Jason Shaw for owner/son Mason; set two track records among her nine 2016 victories at the fairs, and ends her fair career with a remarkable two-year tally of 27-22-4-0.
Most points, overall, for 2YOs, for pacers, and for females: Camera Lady.
Most points for 3YOs and for males: Star Of Terror.
Most points for trotters: A Little Laid Back.
Multiple 2:00 performers: 3PG Star Of Terror, 5; 3PC Dragon Strikes, 4; 3PF Vorst, 3.
Fastest time, pace: tie between 2PG Artists Ruffles and 3PG Star Of Terror, 1:57. (Artists Ruffles’ mile
equaled the all-time PA 2PC fair record, the only such listing altered in 2016.)
Fastest time, trot: 3TF Real Caviar, 2:00.1.
Multiple track records set:
4 – 2TF Lovebeinglucky.
3 – 3TF A Little Laid Back; 3PG Star Of Terror; 2TG Toolbox Tuesday.
2 – 2PG Artists Ruffles; 3PF Singalongwithbing; 3PF Unbeamlieveable; 3PF Vorst.
TOP DRIVERS by wins: Chris Shaw, 65; Roger Hammer, 46; Todd Schadel, 41; Shawn Johnston, 37; (tie) Brady Brown and Steve Schoeffel, 32.
TOP TRAINERS by wins: Jason Shaw, 57; Roger Hammer, 44; Todd Schadel, 36; Gary Johnston, 23; Mike Gillock, 22.
Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association