The 2019 Pennsylvania Fair Circuit completed the 'western part' of its journey during two days of racing at the county fairgrounds in this city in the northwestern part of the state.
Friday’s racing of sophomores saw the “glamour division,” the pacing colts, swept by the circuit’s leading stable so far this year, that of Todd Schadel. The two winners, the Western Terror gelding Find One More (2:00 here) and the Well Said gelding Motive Hanover (2:00.4), are also the only two fair competitors with a pair of 2:00 miles over the Keystone twice rounds, and interestingly they both hung up a magic mile during both ‘A’ and ‘B’ level competitions.
Todd trains and drove both; he shares ownership of Friday’s faster winner with wife Christine, and of the other with his son Cody.
Todd’s brother Tony co-owns with wife/trainer Linda the sophomore Andover Hall gelding Andovers Asset, whom he guided to his sixth victory of the fair campaign in 2:05, tying him for top winner among all ‘A’ level competitors. A sophomore trotter aiming to take the lead by herself with a seventh fair victory, the filly RT Gloria De Dios, unfortunately had to be scratched out of her race – their van was in an accident coming to the races, but all concerned were reported uninjured.
On Thursday two freshmen joined the tie for winningest ‘A’ level fair horse: the pacing filly Dream Dancing and the trotting gelding Penance.
The A Rocknroll Dance–Clearly Foxy miss Dream Dancing, a 2:03.4 winner, is brought to you by the team behind frequent fair winners of recent years Camera Lady and Crew Sox Hanover, co-owner/trainer Dave Brickell and co-owner/driver Mitchell York, while the Father Patrick–Yankee Etta gelding Penance, a 2:08.1 winner at Stoneboro, was driven Thursday by Kyle Bolon for trainer Bob Rougeaux III and the Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
Within the circuit’s point scoring system that makes participants eligible to their respective Fair Sire Stakes Championships on October 5 at The Meadows, the overall lead has been taken by the Explosive Matter–Dreamgirl Lindy freshman trotting filly Lindy Pretty Lady, home in 2:08.4 for the Bolon/Rougeaux/Brocious combine. Lindy Pretty Lady has been ultra-consistent , with a 13-4-6-3 scorecard at the fairs earning her the top point spot at this juncture.
And so as not to slight the ‘B’ Fair Sire Stakes racers, we mention that the A Rocknroll Dance–Real Expresso colt Caffeine Buzz now leads all fair competitors after posting his seventh fair win, all at the ‘B’ level, in 2:08.3 for owner/trainer Roger Hammer and trainer Branden Smith. The fair rules have statutes regulating both the “winning out” from the ‘B’ level and possible return if not high-up in the ‘A’s, and Caffeine Buzz obviously has found his winning level in the lower class – but he still has $11,562 on his card.
Wayne Long drove five winners during the two-day Stoneboro stand to take top honours for sulky sitters, while three trainers – Long, Bob Rougeaux, and Todd Schadel – tied for top in their category with a trio of winning charges.
The state’s fair action shifts to the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds this Sunday and Monday, where a two-day Fair Sire Stakes meet will host two-year-olds the first day and three-year-olds the second. Post time for both days is scheduled for 1 p.m.
(PHHA / PFHHA / MSOA)