The Somebeachsomewhere sophomore gelding Midway Island posted the fastest mile in the history of Pennsylvania fair harness racing on Saturday, September 23 when he won in 1:53.4 at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds.
Driver Chris Shaw sent Midway Island to the quarter in :28, opening a five-length lead and soon doubling it when blazing to the half in :55.2. He was then 15 lengths in front at three-quarters in 1:23.4 before advancing to a 13-and-a-quarter length victory, taking down the previous all-time Keystone State fair record of 1:54 posted by Alastor Hanover in 2007. The 1:53.4 mile also lowers the mark for three-year-old colt pacers of 1:55.1 set by Lahaye in 2009.
Midway Island has two other fair records to his credit along with four other wins on the fair circuit this season. Ron Burke conditions for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services INc., and David Wills.
Donato Hanover offspring All Set Lets Go won her 12th-consecutive race, going in 2:01.4 on the Saturday card at Bloomsburg for driver Roger Hammer, trainer John McMullen Jr. and his family’s McMullen Stable LLC. The filly accumulated 453 points in the fair scoring system – taking the top spot on the last day of the 2017 circuit.
On Friday, Venier Hanover became the fastest two-year-old ever on the fair circuit. The son of Well Said-Valmctorian, trained and driven by David Brickell, who is co-owner with Mitchell York, lowered the previous mark with his 1:56.4 mile at Gratz last week, and then came back five days later to lower that mark to 1:56.1, also busting past the 1:57 local record co-held by Dixie Pride and Shu Hanover, set in 2003. Venier Hanover ended his 2017 fairs season with a 12-11-1-0 record, an all-age 2:00.1 track record at Wattsburg, eight divisional track records, seven miles in 2:00 or less, and the most points acquired by freshmen at 410.
The PFHHA and PHHA want to thank Bloomsburg Superintendent of Horse Racing John Brokenshire for his excellent stewardship in his first year of charge of the racing at Bloomsburg. Brokenshire persuaded the Bloomsburg Fair Board to conduct its harness racing at the start of the fair, rather than in mid-fair, after tractor pulls and such made the racing surface open to rainouts. No track mark had been set at Bloomsburg since 2008.
(With files from the PHHA)