by Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Bloomsburg, PA — The 2018 Pennsylvania fair harness racing season came to its conclusion on Friday (Sept. 21) and Saturday (Sept. 22) with Sire Stakes action at the slick half-mile oval in Bloomsburg, Pa.

The two most praiseworthy performers were victorious within the first 15 minutes of the racing on Friday, which was devoted to 2-year-olds. First to the Bloomsburg winners circle was Crew Sock Hanover, a daughter of Well Said– Chantal Hall who was outside until past the half to gain command, then held off her stablemate Magic Speech by a length in 2:00.2 to emerge undefeated in her 10-start fair campaign.

Trained and driven by Dave Brickell and co-owned by Brickell with Mitchell York, Crew Sock Hanover recalls the stellar success those two had with another freshman pacing miss just two years ago – Camera Lady, who led North American freshmen that year in wins; to this point, at 11 wins, Crew Sock Hanover is tied for that distinction among pacers with Heythere Lisamarie.

A race later, the Cantab Hall – Armbro Blusher freshman colt Keystone Bentley trotted the Bloomsburg oval in 2:00.3 to tie the PA fairs’ age-gait-sex record previously established by Light Headed and Brannan Hanover, both at Bloomsburg in 2006. Trainer/driver Todd Schadel, co-owner with Christine Schadel, certainly seems to have the winning touch with trotters – he then completed a sweep of the 2-year-old trotting colt divisions with the colt Oceanato Hanover (Donato Hanover – Ocean Love Potion, also co-owned by Christine), whose nine victories tie him with Bat Chip Crazy for the continental lead among freshman male trotters.

The winner of the most points during the season-long fair competition gets a blanket done up in stable colors at the fair banquet held in conjunction with the USTA district meeting each January. Keystone Bentley had already clinched his blanket the week before, and so did his pacing counterpart amd stablemate Way To Close, with Roger Hammer catch-driving for his partner on the legendary trotter Vivid Photo, as the Western Terror – Tootsie J gelding won in 1:59.1 at Bloomsburg for Todd and Christine Schadel.

Needing until the last card of the year to cinch her blanket status, the Muscle Massive – By A Nose Hanover trotting filly Bumper Hanover, also jointly owned by the Schadels, won in 2:03.1 to bring a third blanket to her connections. The other division went to another daughter of Muscle Massive, Touch Of Dough (dam Missing Dough) in 2:02 for driver Eric Neal, trainer/father Randall, and Neal Racing Stable LLC.

On Saturday, Hammer matched Schadel’s success by winding up with three of his sophomore charges getting the prized point blankets. The only one of the trio who won was the Real Artist gelding Cirrus De Vie, who welcomed the absence of archrival Venier Hanover by tallying in 1:59.1 for trainer/driver Hammer, co-owner with Vicki Fair, wrapping up his consistent fair season with a scorecard of eight wins and six seconds in 14 starts, making him joint top pointwinner overall along withhis stablemate, the Explosive Matter trotting filly Blow Back, who posted the exact same 14-8-6-0 record. Blow Back, starting from the second tier, missed a half-length to the 2:02 winning effort of the Crazed filly Won The War, guided by trainer Rick Beinhauer, also co-owner with Regina Beinhauer.

The third Hammer blanket capturer, like the other two co-owned by Hammer and Vicki Fair, the Well Said pacing filly Geisha Hanover, won only once at the fairs, but she got a check in all 14 of her twice-around appearances, including this last one at Bloomsburg, to hold on by four points over Keystone Diamond, who was second to the 1:59 winner Dance For Kisses, driven by Schadel’s brother Tony for owner/trainer Justin Lebo.

The sophomore trotting colts went in two divisions on Saturday, and after the Muscle Massive gelding Eiffel Hanover won the first in 2:02.4 for trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel and owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel, the Andover Hall gelding Grapple Hanover needed a first or a second to take the points title and blanket. And Grapple came through for trainer/driver Wayne Long and owners Bill Kreutzer and Denton Barrett, finishing second to the 2:02.2 win of Possess The Stone, an altered son of Possess The Will who was catch-driven by Rick Beinhauer for trainer Scott Betts and owner Timothy Betts.

FINISHING LINES – All of the above pointtotaling is subject to the ratification of the Harness Bureau of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission, officially in charge of the fair Sire Stakes program … The top pointwinners declaring in will go in the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championship card at The Meadows on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 6) … When the Commission’s official numbers are compiled, early next week there will be one final release, reviewing the point champions, 2:00 miles and speed records, along with the final trainer and driver standings.