The crowd was full of American veterans for another great day for live racing on Thursday, August 28 at the Shenandoah County Fair.
On hand were some very good horses, including Tarver Hanover (who competed on the 2003 Little Brown Jug Day card) and Magnum Kosmos (who raced in the 2011 Hambletonian), who definitely made their presence felt on a great day of racing.
Starting off the day was a field of free-for-all pacers that were very competitive and led to a very exciting finish. Three-year-old pacing filly Peanut Butter Cup (The Panderosa-Voluptuous Hanover) rode the pocket for driver William Carter and when they turned for home, American Fighter who had led the whole mile, went just a touch wide. They were four wide at the head of the lane and Peanut Butter Cup got up just in time in 2:02.4.
Tug River Man made today another winning one, racing in two heats for Trainer Betsy Brown in the Ed Long Memorial. Tug River Man sat behind a very good Sun Chimes and up the backstretch really took off for driver Alvin Lineweaver. At the head of the lane, Lineweaver took the lead, but Sun Chimes tried to battle back, but faded. Betsy Brown said this of Tug River Man: "He's a very gutsy horse with a ton of heart." The win gives him three wins from four starts this weekend.
Magnum Kosmos, the fan favourite after having participated in the Hambletonian, went offstride on the opening turn of the race and never really fought back. In Heat 2, however, he came right after Sun Chimes and a tiring Tug River Man and just missed at the wire for trainer/driver Tony Dinges.
The fastest race of the day and of the 2014 season came in Race 6 which was the second heat of the second division of the Free-For-All Pace. Tarver Hanover went to the lead early and set some pretty honest fractions, but when they turned for home, Prince Of Badlands and William Carter took over the lead and just got up to win in a stunning upset.
After today, Tarver Hanover has banked over $826,000 in lifetime earnings and has won 53 of 303 starts, thus making him the winningest horse to race at the fair this season.
Racing continues at the Shenandoah County Fair on Friday with a 1 p.m. first-race post time.
(Shenandoah County Fair)