The Todd Schadel stable made a “sweep” of the four “A” sections of the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes for three-year-olds raced on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 3 at the fairgrounds near the northeast corner of the state, including setting the all-age track trotting mark of 1:59.3 with the filly Loveyoubunches.

In fact, the filly smashed the previous local trotting standard, which was 2:02, first set in 2010 by Vivid Photo (the Hambletonian winner, whose mark Loveyoubunches left behind on Hambletonian Day 2024) and later tied by Action Shot. Loveyoubunches, a daughter of Fordham Road, has set a track record in each of her four 2024 fair starts: at Butler (tying the all-age mark), Meadville, Bedford, and now here at Honesdale. Trainer/driver Schadel and his wife Christine own the fast filly with Rick and Regina Beinhauer, the same “A” team who are also the power behind the International Moni trotting gelding Internationalcraze, also part of the sweep.

Their stablemate Showboat Hanover, a Betting Line pacing filly, reduced the Honesdale standard for her division to 1:58 (beating All You Can Eat’s 1:59.3 of last year); trainer/driver Todd and wife Christine co-own the 2023 Fair Championship winner with Caitlin Solt.

The Betting Line pacing gelding Twiggs Pub, driven by Cody Schadel, also co-owner with trainer/father Todd, beat out the Todd-driven Ante Up Hanover, also a 2023 Fair Champion and the fastest fair horse of the year at 1:57, in their division. One of the pair seemed most likely to be tied for the overall “A” lead with four fair successes, and it was Twiggs Pub who earned the honours.

A word is also deserved for 58-year-old owner/trainer/”Q-F” driver Michael Dailey, who got his first lifetime sulky victory with Bobbys Blue Chip.

Friday’s action for two-year-olds saw three juveniles notch their fourth “A” win of the season to join a logjam with that figure at the top. One of them was the Cantab Hall-Cocktail Attire trotting filly Classy Cocktail, coming off a track record performance at Bedford. Her connections are trainer/driver Tony Schadel and co-owner/wife Linda, who took both “A” divisions with a win by Just A Shiela.

Tony’s brother Todd is trainer/driver/co-owner with Calvin Hoover of the Andover Hall-No Excuses trotting colt Andovers Hot Rod, a fair season’s leader and now a member of the Four “A” Win Club.

Also in that group of four-time success stories is the Papi Rob Hanover-Well What’s New pacing gelding Wheelhouse Hanover, trained and driven by Todd and co-owned with his son Cody. The barn swept this division with the Captain Crunch-Bettorhavranother colt Bettor Not, who became the fastest two-year-old of the fair season in his last start and here went in 2:02.2, taking overall freshman speed honours at Honesdale – both times conquering “B” company. 

The trotters and pacers will be back at Honesdale this Wednesday at 4 p.m. and Thursday at 1 p.m. during the fair proper. There will be $2,000 free-for-alls on both of these cards, the pacers Wednesday and the trotters Thursday.

(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association and Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association)