The Fayette County Free Fair in Connersville, Ind. hosts round 11 in the Indiana fair circuit’s "Quest for the Governor's Cup." Racing will take place Monday (Aug. 1) and Tuesday (Aug. 2) with post time set for 11 a.m. (EDT) each day. Connersville is the penultimate stop on the circuit leading into the Governor’s Cup Championships at the Indiana State Fair. Horsemen will have one last opportunity Aug. 6 in Portland to garner crucial starts and points to qualify for the championship events.
Nine races are carded for Monday featuring freshman pacers and sophomore trotters. The hottest horse in the two-year-old colt pacer division is Starlit Rockstar. Trained and driven by Mike Peterson, the son of Rockin Image has claimed victory in three of his last four starts, including two straight entering this week. Starlit Rockstar will line up in the second tier in the fifth race, one of three $3,500 divisions for colts. Currently fourth in points, Starlit Rockstar needs to race at Connersville and Portland in order to secure the necessary seven fair starts to qualify for the Aug. 11 championships.
The same is also true for three-year-old trotting filly Double A Samantha. Ranked fourth in the division for trainer John Merkel, the sophomore has made five starts this season and will compete in Monday’s seventh race. The three-time winner will be driven by Brad Ferguson from the second tier. The Scott Linville-trained Tabsladyone, starting from post 4, will make her seventh start of the season and become championship eligible. She currently sits sixth in points. Dover Dance will also become eligible for the championship with a start Monday for owner, trainer and driver Greg Runyon. The Dover Dan filly is eighth in points with a 19-point cushion heading into the last two rounds. She lines up on the outside post in race eight.
Freshmen trotters and sophomore pacers highlight Tuesday’s eight-race card. Swan In A Million filly Ellianna R enters the day’s first event riding a three-race winning streak for trainer Enos Lengacher. Those three victories have pushed the freshman into eighth in divisional points. A start Tuesday from the second tier will give her the required seven attempts and make her championship eligible. Six of the top eight fillies in the division are already championship eligible.
Brookview Dewey will log his seventh start in Tuesday’s fifth race. The son of Crescent Fashion starts in post two for trainer and driver Matt Rheinheimer. He currently ranks fifth in points. In the seventh race, pacing colt Always-A-Laser is another hot horse that needs two starts to gain championship eligibility. After missing the first four rounds of fair action, the Always A Virgin three year old has finished first or second in five starts, collecting three wins. Owned, trained and driven by Peterson, Always-A-Laser ranks fourth in divisional points, more than 60 markers ahead of his nearest competition.
Doug Rideout continues to lead all drivers on the fair circuit. With eight wins in Goshen, he now sports 50 victories this season. Jordan Ross ranks second with 37 trips to the winner’s circle, while Jay Cross is third in the standings with 16 winners. Rideout’s 55 victories over the 10 rounds leads all trainers. Mervin Schmucker is the best of the rest with 22 winners. Two victories in Goshen propelled Larry King to third in the standings with 13 victories, one more than Leander Schwartz and Alvin Miller.
Listed below are the top eight point earners in each division, including ties, through 10 rounds of the Quest. Points are tabulated by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. Horses earn a point for each start made on the fair circuit, with race winners awarded 50 points. A second-place finish merits 25 points, a third-place effort yields 12 points, eight points are awarded for fourth place and five points for fifth place. The top eight point earners in each division that have also made the prerequisite seven fair starts will compete in the $25,000 Governor's Cup Championships to be held August 11 at the Indiana State Fair. All horses that have made seven or more starts are designated below with an asterisk.
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
Kruisin Kristen* 332; Check In Process* 290; Here We Go BB, Virgins Big Money* 243; Badimage* 210; Go Go Jackie Jo* 208; Swartz Bros Elen* 202; Tell Me Lies* 192
Two-Year-Old Colt Pace
Lil Joe Iv* 308; M-Ms Tony* 294; Isitlikeittell* 208; Starlit Rockstar 192; Mercy Rock* 183; Vel Big Bruiser* 181; Master Splinter 179; Vel Dwayne* 148
Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
If Not For You* 274; Tucky Girl* 224; Cash In The Bank* 219; Sure Do, Edge Of Rejoicing* 218; Unforgettable* 212; Swartz Bros Donna* 181; Ellianna R 174
Two-Year-Old Colt Trot
Help Dust* 308; Mr Knowitall 306; Starlit Swan Song* 249; A Majorsmackin* 206; Brookview Dewey 188; Prince Henry 186; Reckless Reviver 179; Cantab Superstar* 173
Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Babes Darla* 274; Mystical Image* 240; Al Perfection* 230; Vel Goodgollymolly* 170; Zig Zag Zoom* 165; Velstraightdreamer* 163; Running On Faith* 143; Lady Angel 102
Three-Year-Old Colt Pace
Virgins Beach Boy* 269; Vel Larry* 249; Vel Bitter Chip* 235; Always-A-Laser 205; Vel Wemiss U Dean* 139; Riggins Revenge 129; One Lucky Dude 102; Luckychris 86
Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Crescent Beauty* 434; Walk With Me* 358; Fashions Way* 257; Double A Samantha 155; First N Line* 140; Tabsladyone 119; Swans Lady* 109; Dover Dance 84
Three-Year-Old Colt Trot
Lonestar Fashion* 346; Hand Dover Dan* 278; Summit City Sonny* 223; Vel Jail Bondsman* 186; Mollys Jail* 170; Swartz Bros Sam* 143; Muscle Dan 129; V-Keys Striper 60
Racing fans are encouraged to follow along and participate this season using #Quest4GovCup on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quest for the Governor’s Cup Locations and Dates
- Complete - Round 1: Converse, Ind. - June 1 & 2
- Complete - Round 2: Converse, Ind. - June 8 & 9
- Complete - Round 3: Corydon, Ind. - June 16 & 17
- Complete - Round 4: Converse, Ind. - June 21 & 22
- Complete - Round 5: Frankfort, Ind. - June 27 & 28
- Complete - Round 6: Frankfort, Ind. - July 4 & 5
- Complete - Round 7: Kendallville, Ind. and Kentland, Ind. - July 9
- Complete - Round 8: Portland, Ind. - July 13
- Complete - Round 9: Shelbyville, Ind. - July 18 & 19
- Complete - Round 10: Goshen, Ind. - July 23, 25 & 26
- Round 11: Connersville, Ind. - August 1 & 2
- Round 12: Portland, Ind. - August 6
- Governor’s Cup Championships: Indianapolis, Ind. - August 11
Indiana fair races will be available via livestream this season through a partnership between the Indiana Standardbred Association and Indiana Standardbred Breed Development. Fans can watch fair racing by visiting the ISA website, indianaharness.com, on race days. Races will be archived on the website.
(USHWA Indiana)