Brickell Fillies Impress At Gratz Fair

Published: September 17, 2019 01:01 am EDT

The Dave Brickell 1-2 punch of powerful pacing females – freshman Dream Dancing and sophomore Crew Sock Hanover – were the headline attractions during an excellent two-day stand of state Fair Sire Stakes racing during the Gratz Fair in this central Pennsylvania town.

Dream Dancing set a new track record for her division with a 1:58.3 victory during two-year-old action on Sunday, knocking a tick off the nine-year-old mark of Blissful Artist. Brickell, also trainer and co-owner with Mitchell York, was in the sulky behind the daughter of A Rocknroll Dance–Clearly Foxy, moving to the lead between the quarter and the half, and en route to the finish she also became the fastest two-year-old on the fair circuit this year and also the only horse to set two divisional track records, adding to her alteration in the Butler books.

The next day, during sophomore action, the Well Said filly Crew Sock Hanover, sitting just off a wicked :27 duel to the quarter, moved down the backside the final time and drew clear late in 1:56.1, lowering her own standard for fastest mile of the local fair year, which she set here last week, by a full second. Kyle Bolon was in the sulky behind Crew Sock Hanover, winner of her last four fair starts, for Team Brickell / York.

The sophomore pacing colt Find One More recorded his fourth 2:00 victory at the Pennsylvania fairs in 2019, double that of any other horse, taking his Sire Stakes race in 1:58.2. The altered son of Western Terror, a graduate of the “B” Fair Sire Stakes division who has now been victorious in three straight against the “A”s, defeated stablemate Way To Close by a half-length for driver Tony Schadel and trainer/brother Todd Schadel, the latter co-owner with his wife Christine.

The pairing of driver Kyle Bolon and trainer Bob Rougeaux III accounted for a sweep of the major action for sophomore trotters.

First up was the Cantab Hall gelding Cantab Ed, who was three-wide from fifth from before the three-quarter pole, yet still reduced his group’s fair seasonal best to 2:01.3 for the Lone Wolf Stable.

Then came 2018’s divisional Fair Championship winner, RT Gloria De Dios a daughter of Muscle Massive, who wired her field in 2:02.3. It was the fourth straight win for RT Gloria De Dios, owned by the Brocious Racing Stable Inc, and her eighth triumph at the Keystone twicearounds this year, tying her at the top of that particular list.

The other horse at the top of the victories column is the Father Patrick–Yankee Etta freshman trotting gelding Penance, who overcame a hard grinding trip for a 2:04.1 win, giving him triumphs in five of his last fair six starts. It will cause little surprise to note that Penance was driven by Kyle Bolon, trained by Bob Rougeaux III, and is owned by Brocious Racing Stable Inc.

The Delmarvalous–Lifesarealbeach freshman pacing gelding Lifes Marvalous won in 1:59.1 for owner/trainer/driver Roger Hammer, the fastest mile by a baby pacing colt this year and his third straight fair triumph.

Roger Hammer and Kyle Bolon each drove four winners during the two days to tie for sulky honours, while Hammer and Bob Rougeaux III topped the training side by sending out four winning charges.

The Pennsylvania fair season ends this coming Friday and Saturday at the Bloomsburg Fair, with freshman in action on Friday starting at 1 p.m., and then sophomores on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. This will be the last chance for contenders to secure enough points to be eligible for their $25,000 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships at The Meadows on Saturday, October 5.

(MSOA / PFHHA / PHHA)

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