Harness racing returned to the Greene County Fairgrounds in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania on Thursday, with 12 heats for freshmen.
Two $6,074 divisions of the PA Sire Stake for colt trotters opened the day, and Roger Hammer won the first with Albany House, an Andover Hall colt. It was the sixth win of the season in 10 starts for Albany House, co-owned by Hammer and the Erv Miller Stable. The winning time was 2:06.3.
In the second race, Polamalu recorded the upset win for trainer/driver Bill Fahy in 2:11.2. It was the first career win for the Cantab Hall colt, owned by Moira Fahy and John Bowers.
In the first of three filly trotting PASS divisions, Lady Broadway was a winner for owners John and Michelle McMullen. Brad Provost guided the Broadway Hall filly to a 2:07.3 win, her fifth in nine career starts. For trainer John McMullen, it was his 17th win in just 29 starts this season. McMullen’s UTRS rating is now near the .700 mark.
In the second division, Chris Shaw catch-drove Bellagio Bay to a 2:06.2 win. The Dunn Stable owns the Tom Ridge filly, while Boots Dunn earned the training win.
In the final split, the Dunn Stable made it back-to-back wins, this time with the Cantab Hall filly Lindyofalifetime. Hammer picked up the drive for the 2:06.2 victory.
Three colt pacing PASS events were up next, with the first won by Jungle Of Terror (Western Terror), trained and reined by Steve Schoeffel. It was the fifth win of the season for Jungle Of Terror and owners Steve Lander, Kathy and Virginia Schoeffel. The time for the mile was 2:04.3.
The second split gave Shaw his second winning drive of the day, as Charlies Chapel survived being parked to the quarter, forced to take a two-hole trip, then getting by front-running Bone Taker late for the win. The Allamerican Native gelding paced in 2:04.3 for his second career win. Charles Meyer owns Charlies Chapel, while Walter Johnson earned the training win.
Captain Kubota, a Mcardle gelding, went right to the front out of the gate and never looked back, taking the final division by open lengths in 2:04.3. Brady Brown drove the winner for owners Mike Fleming and Rich Gillock. Mike Gillock was the winning trainer.
Filly pacers were up next in two $6,150 divisions, and fair newcomer Mattwestern was a winner in the first split. Hammer catch drove for owner/trainer Arnold Johnston, as the Western Terror filly paced in 2:04. It was her first career victory in his fifth start.
Chris Shaw earned his third winning drive of the day in the second division, guiding Amanda Beinhauer’s In A Better Place to a 2:07.4 victory. Jason Shaw trains the Christian Cullen filly. The race was one of the most hotly contested of the day, with three horses across the track in a photo for win. Exhibitionist, driven by Roger Hammer, was second, while Shakira Babe, with driver Cory Kreiser, finished third.
In the sole division of the Quaker Trot for PA-sired or PA-owned horses, Zolena, a Donato Hanover filly, earned her first career win for trainer/driver Kent McGee. McGee co-owns with Charles Minger.
The day’s final race was the two-year-old Quaker Pace, and the race held plenty of significance for driver David Simms, Jr., as he guided Gingerbread Rock to a wire-to-wire win in 2:04.4. For Simms, it was his first career driving victory in just his third appearance in the bike. Rich Gillock and Paula Sokol own the I Am A Fool filly, while Mike Gillock trains.
Action at Waynesburg continues at 10 a.m. on Friday, with three-year-olds in action.
(PA Fair HHA)