PROSPECT PA – The speed show continued at The Big Butler Fair on Friday, the last day of the two-day harness racing meet here in northwest Pennsylvania, with three-year-olds featured and the rapidly-developing Western Terror pacing gelding Star Of Terror equaling the 24-year-old all-age mark of 2:00.2 in winning his division of the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes.
The youngster was eligible for "nw 3 races lifetime" before Friday, as he was lightly campaigned at two, though winning a Stallion Series event at Pocono in his career debut. His ownership, Fortunate One LLC, put him in the care of top trainer Jason Shaw before the start of this season, and Star Of Terror overcame the trailing post seven in a mile with fractions of 29, 59.2, and 1:30 before winning in 2:00.2 for Jason's brother, driver Chris Shaw, equaling the record set exactly 24 years to the day previously by Audie K, who was a four-year-old when setting the mark. The mile, fastest of the young fair season, also eclipsed the Butler 3P male mark of 2:00.4 that Royaltyhasarrived set on July 3 last year, and lowered the overall mark for sophomores that the filly Rascality had hung up 12 years ago to the day.
Also causing an alteration in the record tables was a 2:03.4 victory for the sophomore trotting filly Regal Woman in her Sire Stakes cut, which equaled the Butler divisional standard first notched one year minus two days ago by Missive. Shawn Johnston had sulky duties behind the daughter of SJ's Caviar for trainer Gary Johnston and owner/breeder Dr. William Solomon.
The Shaw brothers visited Victory Lane four times on Friday, six times overall in the two-day session, and ten times at the first two fair stops to top all competition so far. Interestingly, for the season there is a three-way tie for second in both the trainer and driver standings, with five wins each. On the drivers side, joint-second is shared by Rick Beinhauer, Dave Brickell, and Roger Hammer; on the trainers side, the tied trio are … Beinhauer, Brickell, and Hammer as well!
FINISHING LINES – The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit heads east for its third seasonal stop next Saturday and Sunday, with Sire Stakes and Quaker State racing at the slick oval at Gratz PA, a little east of center state … Roger Huston was right with his prediction: he liked the one horse in Friday's first race, and sure enough Winn Dixie Dunn won in 2:08 – in a walkover …
A word or two about Audie K and his owner/breeder/"best buddy," the late Karl "Terry" Schoeffel, might be in order here, since the horse was headquartered around Butler throughout his career, which started at age 2 and ended at 14. Nobody was more proud of Audie K and his achievements than Terry – accomplishments which included the local track record which has stood for almost a quarter century, and his 1:56 mile in 1993 at Bloomsburg, which stood as the Pennsylvania fair record for 10 years minus five days. When R N Artist blitzed Bloomsburg in 1:55.2 on September 24th of 2003 and the crowd breathlessly awaited to hear the time, the announcer didn't say, "We've got a new track record!" or "How about this great recordsetting filly!" – his first words to the crowd were two: "Sorry, Terry." This writer was standing five feet from Schoeffel at that moment, and he nodded once to the announcer in thanks, and then once or twice more as he remembered, as all rational horsemen know, that records are made to be broken. The one at Bloomsburg had stood up for almost 10 years; the one at Butler is still awaiting eclipsing after 24.
Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association