Todd Schadel, the defending North American UDR champion in the 300-499 starts category, came out roaring in his first Pennsylvania fair appearance of 2019, winning eight races during a two-day PA Fair Sire Stakes event at the Butler County Fairgrounds in this western Pennsylvania town on Thursday and Friday.

Seven of those victories came during the three-year-old racing on Friday, with several familiar horses from last year’s circuit making winner's circle appearances.

For the two-day meet, Schadel posted a record of 13-8-4-1, which figures to a UDR of .812 – which would help anyone’s seasonal UDR credentials. Schadel also trains all the horses he drove, and he co-owns all but one with his wife Christine – the other he co-owns with his son Cody.

Schadel, perhaps best-known nationally as the co-owner with Roger Hammer of the Hambletonian winner Vivid Photo, had a notable sweep of the three-year-old colt pace Sire Stakes, winning both “A” divisions, and bettering their clockings while taking the “B” section! The Well Said gelding Motive Hanover (the one Todd co-owns with son Cody) paced the Butler twicearound in 2:02, better than “A”-winning barnmates Way To Close (2:03.1 - :28.3) and Find One More (2:04.2).

Fastest mile of the meet, and of the young state fair season, was turned in by the Well Said pacing filly Sure R Lookin Good, returning to the fairs with a strong 2:01.4 win after capturing her Fair Championship event last October at The Meadows. Eric Neal handled the fast filly for trainer Bob Krenitsky Jr. and owner Julie Krenitsky.

The other winner in this division was another daughter of Well Said, Crew Sock Hanover, who was undefeated at 10 Keystone state fair stops in 2018 and opened her 2019 account with a 2:02.2 win. The owning team of Dave Brickell and Mitchell York, who had North America’s winningest freshman of 2016 in Camera Lady, share the title on “Crew Sock,” with Brickell training and York, who got his first-ever driving win at Wattsburg last week, handling her in one of his two driving successes at Butler.

Fastest trotter of the meet, and of the year at the local fairs, was the Muscle Massive gelding Corsair, who put up a 2:05.4 clocking for Team Schadel.

On Thursday, Kyle Bolon recorded the fastest mile of the meet and the fair season for freshmen on each gait. The Well Said pacing colt Say You was a 2:04.4 winner for trainer Norm Parker and owner Robert Key, while on the trot it was the Father Patrick gelding Penance who set the standard of 2:08.1 for trainer Robert Rougeaux III and the Brocious Racing Stable Inc.

Both of the two-year-old pacing fillies who won in “A” stakes at Wattsburg came back to win “A” races again at Butler: Rocknroll Kaydence, a daughter of A Rocknroll Dance-Dream Of Winning who won in 2:06.2 for driver Shawn Johnston and trainer Gary Johnston; and Dream Dancing, completing the siring double of A Rocknroll Dance and out of the mare Clearly Foxy, along in 2:10 for Team Brickell/York. Another repeater was the Explosive Matter – Secret Credit trotting colt Stickler Hanover, home in 2:08.4 for trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel. (The three-year-olds were washed out at Wattsburg.)

(Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association, Meadows Standardbred Owners Association & Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association)