The Pennsylvania fair harness racing circuit touched down for two days of racing at Dayton on Wednesday, Aug. 13 and Thursday, Aug. 14 at the fairgrounds in this borough 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The themes of the stand were many repeat winners, and B-level two-year-olds frequently bettering the clockings of their A-class counterparts.
The two-year-olds raced on Wednesday, and three of the traditional four sections of Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes had a quicker clocking posted in the lower-level stakes. Fastest of all the Dayton freshmen was the Tall Dark Stranger-Viva La Deo gelding Venom Hanover, who broke his maiden in 2:05.3 for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, who co-owns him with Jim Simpson, Timothy Hayes, and Dr. Megan Moschgat. The A winner a race earlier was Quill Gordon (a Stay Hungry-Pueblo Blue Chip gelding), whose 2:07 victory was his third straight win and fourth A triumph overall, tying him for top among all higher-level fair babies. Eric Neal drove him to the win for trainer Mitchell York, who shares ownership with Erin York.
The other quadruple A-winning freshman was the Always B Miki-Zane Hanover miss Beachys Mistress, who won in 2:09.2 for trainer-driver Steve Schoeffel and owner Ryan Smith. But she took a back seat speed-wise to the 2:07 mile of four-time B winner Dark Sky (Tall Dark Stranger-Firestorm), who is co-owned by trainer-driver Todd Schadel with his wife, Christine Schadel, and Caitlin Solt. The other faster winner in B-tier action was also a Todd Schadel production, the Greenshoe-Dominica gelding The Rizzler, who had posted two A wins before a downturn in form brought him to the lower level. He was rejuvenated by the drop, and he recorded the fastest juvenile trot time of 2:08 for owners Todd and Christine Schadel.
The only A-level two-year-old to also be fastest in their division was the Cantab Hall-Bwt Maija miss Sueetta, who was timed in 2:09. She has now won three in a row in for trainer-driver Steve Schoeffel and owners 518 Group LLC, Ryan Smith, and John Schlabach.
During Thursday’s three-year-old racing, the A group restored the normal speed roles, and Eric Neal was the driving force with six winning steers. Neal was the pilot of the Tom Loughry Jr. trainee Skepticism, a daughter of Tall Dark Stranger-Sansovina Hanover, who had the fastest mile at Honesdale and here won in 2:00 for the quickest clocking of the Dayton stand for owner Geraldine Poerio.
The winningest horse of all at the fairs is the Captain Crunch-Bettorhaveanother colt Bettor Not, now undefeated in eight starts over the twicearounds after a 2:01.3 victory for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, who co-owns him with Christine Schadel.
The fastest trotting mile of the meet was the 2:05.2 victory of the Cantab Hall-Maple Grove Karen gelding Cantab Zette, a three-time A winner this year. Eric Neal piloted him to victory for trainer Susan Callihan, who co-owns the gelding with Gregory Callihan, Nichole Buchleitner, and Amber Setzenfand.
The International Moni-Cantab Cabela filly Tally The Tab, trained and driven by Todd Schadel, won her sixth A stake in 2:06 in the day’s curtain-raiser, but she was the one top-level sophomore whose time was bettered by a B winner. The Neal/Loughry connection struck again with the Greenshoe-Fancy miss Rt Paint It Black, owned by Lone Wolf Stable, whose 2:05.4 mile was a tick better than Tally The Tab’s.
Eric Neal’s thunderous Thursday of sulky success, including wins in the last two races of the meet, allowed him to take Dayton honours with seven scores to Todd Schadel’s six. Neal is striking at a 19.3 per cent rate in the sulky this season with 47 total victories. Schadel’s six training wins gave him the crown in that category.
Thursday was the only day of the year on the Keystone State fair circuit where two tracks raced in one day. A meet at Meyersdale in Somerset County, 110 miles almost due south of Dayton, had two-year-olds put on a speed show.
(With files from the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association & Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)