The Pennsylvania Fair circuit came to the Lycoming County Fair in this northcentral Pennsylvania borough, near Williamsport of Little League World Series fame, for two days of PA Fair Sire Stakes racing on Wednesday and Thursday (July 13 and 14).

On the first day, a pacing filly record was broken, and then a pacing colt record rewritten, and then – 12 minutes later – that same record was not only broken again, but the latter mile also tied the all-time Hughesville speed standard.

And Wednesday was the day for two-year-olds! The all-age track record would again be smashed on Thursday, when the three-year-olds took centre stage!

Let’s start recapping with the freshmen, as they set more records.

First to alter a line in the local standards was the Heston Blue Chip – Balasun pacing miss Sunshine Chip, who stopped the watch at 2:00.1, lowering by a full second the Hughesville record set by Crew Sock Hanover in 2018. Eric Neal guided the baby for trainer Bob Krenitsky Jr. and owner Julie Krenitsky. (In the other division of this group, Rambling Ruby became the fair circuit’s first three-time “A” winner on the year with a 2:01.2 mile for trainer/driver Todd Schadel.)

Then came the two-year-old colts. First to set a record was the Captaintreacherous – Well Whats New gelding Captaincountrystar, who paced in 1:58.4 to reduce the standard of 1:59.2 set by Lislea Moran all the way back in 2008 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel and the ownership of Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Wallace Townsend Jr.

But as noted, in the very next race that mark was eclipsed by a 1:57.2 effort turned in by the Heston Blue Chip – Franciegirl gelding Make Me An Offer, who is co-owned by driver Tony and trainer Linda Schadel. And that 1:57.2 also equaled the all-age Hughesville track standard of Love Cut, who paced that fast as a three-year-old in 2018.

Before leaving the freshmen, it must be noted that Team Todd Schadel swept the “A” Fair Sire Stakes for baby trotters, two divisions for colts and three for fillies, with the fastest by sex the International Moni – Arrowstar colt Action Shot in 2:04, and another International Moni offspring, the filly Quarantina (dam Cantab Cabela), in 2:04.2. Todd as trainer/driver went to Victory Lane eight times on Wednesday.

When the sophomores raced on Thursday, the spotlight fell on driver Jack Killeen and trainer Jason Shaw, who swept the pacing colt divisions. First up was the gelding Myartblongstorock, a 2:01.1 winner for owner Christian Apel. This mile would be a prelude to an amazing 1:56.3 effort by the Betting Line gelding Aladdin Hanover, whose blistering mile rewrote the 23 hour and 16 minute record of freshman Make Me An Offer, for Team Killeen/Jason Shaw and owner Mason Shaw.

Also earning a sophomore citation is the Explosive Matter miss Curry Hanover, first trotter to get to three “A” fair wins for the hot trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel with a 2:01.4 clocking.

Trainer/driver Todd Schadel led the horsemen’s colony with his eight-win Wednesday; in behind him on the driving side was Eric Neal, who won five times during the two-day meet, and Tony Schadel, who won four races, and on the training side by Linda Schadel, Todd’s sister-in-law, who harnessed four winners between the two days.

Next stop on the busy PA Fair circuit is at the Bedford County Fair, which will race Thursday and Friday (July 21 and 22), and for which entries must be made by 10 a.m. on Tuesday , July 19.

(MSOA / PHHA / PFHHA)