The husband/wife team of driver Tony and trainer Linda Schadel continued their hot hands at the famed Arden Downs oval at the Washington County Fair in this city literally just down the street from the Meadows, including the fastest pacing winners during both Monday’s sophomore action and the quickest freshman pacer on Tuesday.

Fastest of all Washington performers was the very first horse to return to Victory Lane, the Schadels’ Rocknroll Hanover pacing filly Bella Ragazza, who overcame a trailing start spot to post her seventh straight win and eighth of the fair campaign in 2:01.2, also taking over the distinction as the leading points winner on the fair circuit to this point of the 2017 campaign. Linda Schadel co-owns the streaking winner with Roxanna Buffington.

The freshman gelding by A Rocknroll Dance, Legendary Ron, ran his record to two for three since his recent purchase by Tony and Linda, with a big mile in 2:01.4 to defeat the multi-winner Marvalous Falcon on Tuesday.

The trotting star of the meet was the undefeated Explosive Matter two-year-old gelding Hockey Hanover, who became the North American leader among freshman trotters in wins with his eighth straight triumph – five at the fairs, and three in the pari-mutuel Stallion Series. Hockey Hanover was handled by Wilbur Yoder to a 2:05.2 victory for trainer John McMullen and his family’s McMullen Stable LLC.

Fastest trotter of the meet was the Ron Burke trainee New Heaven, who has now won two straight over the twice around circuit, this one in 2:03.1; the Yankee Glide gelding is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and David Wills, and was driven to victory by Chris Shaw.

Shaw, in fact, had five victories during the two-day meet to edge Tony Schadel by one for that honour while increasing his summer long lead to 44-34 over Roger Hammer. Linda Schadel’s four-bagger on the two cards easily put her atop that category, with no other trainer having more than two.

The PA Fair Circuit crowd doesn’t miss a beat – they’ll be off and racing at Dayton on Wednesday and Thursday at noon, with sophomores starting things off, and then the freshmen, led by the exciting Venier Hanover, just three days after having the stretch lead in a pari-mutuel PA Sire Stakes before finishing third against national-class horses.

(PFHHA)