Horses racing on the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit in its Fair Sire Stakes program do so for three reasons. Two of them are obvious: to earn the purse money offered at each stop and to try to accumulate enough points to earn their way into their respective $25,000 Fair Championships, which will be held on a 4 p.m. card at The Meadows on Friday, Oct. 8.
Then there’s a third reason, minor but prestigious on the circuit: the top point-earner in each division earns a trophy blanket, “done up” in the colours of the stable, at the fair awards dinner. These blankets are often seen for years on horses racing for a stable at the fairs.
Points are earned on a 35-25-15-10-8-5-4-2 basis based on official order of finish. Horses who do not finish a race receive zero points. Horses who are still in to go when a race is cancelled for whatever reason get nine points each.
This is the list of the blanket-winning horses in each of the eight divisions of the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes and their connections, along with a few facts denoting achievement.
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS: Muscle Hall (300 points), Andover Hall – High Score Musicly colt, owned, trained, and driven by Roger Hammer. Muscle Hall went to the lead over Cussin N Fussin at the circuit’s penultimate stop at Gratz, and when Cussin N Fussin didn’t drop in at Bloomsburg (where all the two-year-old races were rained out), Muscle Hall clinched the title.
Fair season’s leader: Pose A Threat, 2:03.1, Gratz.
Most fair wins (in all cases, in the “A” Sire Stake division): three, with five tied in a competitive section – Big Ben Hanover, Cussin N Fussin, Mork Hanover, Muscle Hall and Suits Me.
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES: Ruffle My Truffles (344 points), Explosive Matter – Truffles, trained and driven by Roger Hammer for Glenn Dyke and LeBlanc Racing Inc. Ruffle My Truffles had a two-point lead over Till Im Gone, and both were in the same race at Bloomsburg – and then the rains came.
Fair season’s leader: Heart Matters, 2:02.3, Gratz.
Most fair wins: seven, Till Im Gone.
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS: Pure Country Dance (392 points, leading all two-year-olds), A Rock N Roll Dance – Forever Lover gelding, owned and trained by Mitchell York and primarily driven by Dave Brickell. Had the title clinched well before the final week.
Fair season’s leader: Pure Country Dance, 1:59, Gratz (the only 2:00 mile by a two-year-old this year).
Most fair wins: six, Pure Country Dance.
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES: Bettor Strait N Up (382 points), Betting Line – Strait N Great, owned by trainer Linda and driver Tony Schadel. Another who clinched a couple of weeks out.
Fair season’s leader: Ginger Tree Leslie, 2:00.2, Gratz.
Most fair wins: eight, Bettor Strait N Up (also led all two-year-olds here).
THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS: Killer Instinct (373 points), Southwind Frank – Wheely Quick gelding, trained by Bob Rougeaux III and driven primarily by Wayne Long for Brocious Racing Stable Inc., and Lone Wolf Stable. Consistency and constant fair competition: 12-7-4-0 at the fairs plus two rainouts gave him a slight edge over 2020 Championship winner Top Me Off, who was undefeated in 10 starts. Killer Instinct was the only leading point-winner at two to repeat at three.
Fair season’s leader: Top Me Off, 1:57.2, Gratz, the fastest trot mile ever at the Pennsylvania fairs.
Most fair wins: 10, Top Me Off (tied for top overall).
THREE-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES: Cheesy Hanover (390 points, most by a trotter), Cantab Hall – Chez Lucie, trained by Todd Schadel and primarily driven by his 19-year-old son Cory, and owned by his father and mother Christine. Passed Frankkiss with wins at the last two stops – wins which gave her ten triumphs in a row.
Fair season’s leader: Cheesy Hanover, 1:59.4, Gratz.
Most fair wins: 10, Cheesy Hanover (tied for top overall, and top female).
THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS: Terry A Hanover (393 points, most by a male), Artspeak – Triplet Hanover colt, trained and driven by Todd Schadel for owners Christine Schadel and Caitlin Solt. Heartbreak for archrival Seth Hanover – ahead by 19 points going into the last race of the season, he finishes third and earns 15 points while Terry A Hanover (a 2020 Championship winner) gets his season-leading seventh 2:00 mile of the fair year and 35 points, winning the blanket by one point!
Fair season’s leader: (tied) Seth Hanover, 1:57.1, Bedford, and Terry A Hanover, 1:57.1, Gratz.
Most fair wins: 10, Terry A Hanover (tied for top overall, and top pacer).
THREE-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLY: Tiamogonedancen (418 points, top overall, pacer, three-year-old, and female), A Rocknroll Dance – Tiamo, owned by trainer Mitchell York and driver Dave Brickell. Also a 2020 champion, Tiamogonedancen danced most every dance at the fairs, clinching her title early, and went the fastest fair mile of the year (see below).
Fair season’s leader: Tiamogonedancen, 1:55.2, Bedford.
Most fair wins: eight, Tonianne.
(Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association, Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, and Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association)