The three-year-old Well Said pacing filly Crew Sock Hanover, who had won fourteen races in her career, teamed with driver Mitchell York, who had won four, and produced the fastest mile ever at the Butler County Fairgrounds, 2:00.1, in winning a Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes event during Friday racing action at the Big Butler Fair in this northwest Pennsylvania town.
The speedy clocking reduced by a fifth the overall track record first set 27 years ago by Audie K, and then equalled by Star Of Terror in 2016 and Cirrus De Vie last year. York, in a driving career less than two weeks old, co-owns with trainer Dave Brickell the new Butler standard-bearer, who has never been beaten in a dozen starts over Pennsylvania fair twice arounds. Crew Sock Hanover is also the fastest overall performer on the Pennsylvania fair circuit in its first three 2019 stops.
Team York/Brickell, who also owned 2016’s winningest North American two-year-old Camera Lady and Venier Hanover, the terror of the Keystone fair circuit the last two years, claimed a second divisional track record during the Thursday action for babies.
The A Rocknroll Dance–Clearly Foxy pacing filly Dream Dancing won her Fair Sire Stakes event in 2:00.4, obliterating the former group mark of 2:02.1, and also tying the local freshman record for males, set two years ago by - Venier Hanover. The win also made Dream Dancing the only “A”- class winner in the first three stops of the fair circuit this season (the three-year-olds were rained out at Wattsburg).
The fastest trotting mile of the year on the circuit was posted in the first race of the Friday card, as the Andover Hall gelding Grover Hanover, second in his Fair Championship last year, toured the Butler mile in 2:05. Wayne Long was in the sulky for trainer Bill Kreutzer, who is also co-owner with Denton Barrett.
The only other horse besides the York/Brickell fillies to win a second straight “A” stakes during the double-week stop at Butler was the Father Patrick gelding Penance, who overcame the outside post six in 2:07, fastest time for a baby trotter in the PA Fair Sire Stakes this year. Kyle Bolon drove the winner, who was second at Wattsburg and now has the two straight victories, for trainer Bob Rougeaux III and the Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
Roger Hammer had three driving and three training victories each during this second week at Butler, tying him at the top of those categories with driver Mitchell York and trainer Dave Brickell, who were in the spotlight all week. For the season, Hammer’s eight wins as both a driver and trainer tie him with Todd Schadel – his partner on 2007 Hambletonian winner Vivid Photo.
The PA fair circuit now heads southeast for 2 p.m. racing at the York Fair (no relation to Mitchell York) on Tuesday (two-year-olds) and Wednesday (three-year-olds).
(PHHA / MSOA / PFHHA)