The Better Caviar sophomore filly Plumb, who last week at Somerset tied Shark Kosmos’s 17-year-old 1:58.2 all-age trotting record at the Pennsylvania fairs, on Friday came back and smashed a five-year-old record and a 10-year-old mark by rewriting the fastest trot standard for the York Fair to 2:01.1.
Under the guidance of trainer Dave Wade, Plumb went fractions of :29.4, :59.2 and 1:31.2 en route to knocking a fifth of a second off the previous York standard set by a pair of three-year-olds, the colt Southwind Nitro in 2010 and the filly Peoplesayimnogood in 2015. The filly, owned by Wade in partnership with Gerry Brittingham and William Peel III, has now won three straight at the fairs.
Dave Wade is, of course, no stranger to handling top-notch speedy trotters. In 1995, he campaigned Older Trotting Horse of the Year S Js Photo, and in 1973, he sent out Two-Year-Old Trotter of the Year Starlark Hanover (no separate colt/filly trophy in those days), who won 21 of 22 races including some fair stops, and went up against the boys in the Harriman at eight-wide Yonkers and won – from post 13! (Think about that.)
The York track record for three-year-old pacing fillies was also lowered a tick, as the Sweet Lou filly Ginger Tree Carey won in 1:57.2 on the engine, beating the 12-year-old divisional record of Tys Artist. Trainer/driver Sam Beegle co-owns Ginger Tree Carey with Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Henlopen Stable, and Neil Chesen.
Beegle, who in his spare time is president of the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association and District Chairman for the USTA’s District 7 (Pennsylvania), had a big meet with four wins as trainer/driver, tying for top on the sulky side with Todd Schadel and Dave Brickell, and on the training side with his longtime friendly rival from Bedford, Pennsylvania, Roger Hammer.
Other York 2:00 miles included wins by Full Send (1:57.2), his third magic mile at the PA fairs to lead all competitors, and last year’s co-champion filly pacer, Dream Dancing (1:59.2).
Driver Dave Brickell and trainer Mitchell York, also co-owners in Team Dream Dancing, may be headed for a second straight title in that category, as the Betting Line-Lazan Hanover filly Lazy Day Hanover remained unbeaten at the fairs with her ninth win, making her the winningest freshman filly in all of North America. She was also the fastest two-year-old at York in 2:00.4 while winning by as close to 20 lengths as you can come.
Fastest baby trotter, and setting a PA fairs season’s record, was the Bar Hopping–Chiptomylou gelding Top Me Off, driven by trainer Todd Schadel to a 2:03.1 victory.
The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit now “ships” 280 miles northwest to the Erie County Fair in Wattsburg, Pennsylvania for noontime racing on Monday and Tuesday.
(Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association, Meadows Standardbred Owners Association & Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association)