HARRISBURG, PA – It is an annual harness racing tradition for the horse who accumulates the most "points" based on finishing position during the 20-stop Pennsylvania fair circuit to be awarded a blanket, done up in stable colors, during the Fair Banquet, held annually on a Saturday in January in conjunction with the USTA District 7 (Pennsylvania) meeting; this year's banquet will be held on Saturday, January 18 at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford PA.
The blanketwinners for each of the eight Fair Sire Stakes divisions, classified by age, sex, and gait, are the following:
Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt/Gelding : KEYSTONE BENTLEY, c, Cantab Hall – Armbro Blusher, trained by Todd Schadel, and co-owned by Todd and Christine Schadel.
Two-Year-Old Trotting Filly: BUMPER HANOVER, Muscle Massive – By A Nose Hanover, trained by Todd Schadel, and co-owned by Todd and Christine Schadel.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Colt/Gelding: WAY TO CLOSE, g, Western Terror – Tootsie J, trained by Todd Schadel, and co-owned by Todd and Christine Schadel.
Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly: CREW SOCK HANOVER, Well Said – Chantal Hall, trained by Dave Brickell, and co-owned by Dave Brickell and Mitchell York.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Colt/Gelding: GRAPPLE HANOVER, g, Andover Hall – Girls' Getaway, trained by Wayne Long, and owned by Denton Barrett and William Kreutzer.
Three-Year-Old Trotting Filly: BLOW BACK, Explosive Matter – Greatest Desire, trained by Roger Hammer, and co-owned by Vicki Fair and Roger Hammer.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Colt/Gelding: CIRRUS DE VIE, g, Real Artist – Walk On The Beach, trained by Roger Hammer, and co-owned by Vicki Fair and Roger Hammer.
Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly: GEISHA SEELSTER, Well Said- Goddess's Princess, trained by Roger Hammer, and co-owned by Vicki Fair and Roger Hammer.
GRAPPLE HANOVER was the only two-year-old pointwinning champion to repeat that feat at three.
CIRRUS DE VIE was the only two-year-old Fair Championship winner to be leading pointwinner at three. (The 2018 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships will be held at The Meadows on Saturday afternoon, October 6.)
Leading Pointwinners: (tie) BLOW BACK and CIRRUS DE VIE (amazingly, both Roger Hammer 3YO trainees had 2018 fair record of 14-8-6-0).
Leading 2YO Pointwinner: BUMPER HANOVER.
SELECTED STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Winningest Fair Horse: CREW SOCK HANOVER, 10 (undefeated on the circuit in 2018).
26 2:00 miles recorded. Leader: CIRRUS DE VIE, 5.
25 divisional track records set. Leaders: (tie) CIRRUS DE VIE and CREW SOCK HANOVER, 3 each.
3 all-age track records set. Leader: CIRRUS DE VIE, 2.
All-time divisional PA Fairs record set:
–2PF, 1:58, CREW SOCK HANOVER, @ Bloomsburg
–2TC, 2:00.3, (tied) KEYSTONE BENTLEY, @ Bloomsburg
Fastest Miles of Season by Gait:
–Trot: 2:00.1, SHOW ME THE MAGIC (3YO), @ Bloomsburg
— Pace: 1:55.1, VENIER HANOVER (3YO), @ Bloomsburg
TOP FIVE DRIVERS TOP FIVE TRAINERS
Todd Schadel 71 Todd Schadel 78
Roger Hammer 41 Roger Hammer 37
Tony Schadel 38 Linda Schadel 24
Eric Neal 31 David Brickell 23
David Brickell 23 Robert Krenitsky Jr. 17
From the Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association