from Harness Publicists across North America

Wednesday’s (September 3) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway and the Van Wert, Ohio and Port Royal, Pa. Fairs.

Stormont Northstar is still the king at Harrington

Harrington, DE — Veteran 14-year-old trotter Stormont Northstar ($16.20, Eddie Davis, Jr.) notched his 70th career win at Harrington Raceway on Wednesday with a gutsy 1:59.1 triumph.

Owned by Bob Stevenson and Eric Davis, the altered son of Brisco Hanover pulled first over on the backstretch and began to gain ground on heavily favored Star Lite Stinger to the finish and outfought him to the wire for the narrow win.

‘Northstar,’ who is trained by Stevenson, has won 34 races at Harrington, more than any horse in the track’s 63-year history.

Meanwhile in the $20,000 featured Junior Open Trot, Martin Scharf’s The Federalist ($3.00, 1:56.4, Tony Morgan) was a repeat winner over Sugar Valley Alley. The Federalist is trained by Josh Green.

— Matt Sparacino

Track record highlights closing day in Van Wert

Van Wert, OH — The Van Wert County Fair at Van Wert, Ohio, concluded its racing program on Wednesday afternoon with a 14-race program which produced a track record tying mile in the 2-year-old filly trot.

Curly Top (Emile Angus-Platinum Plus) toured the Van Wert oval in 2:05.1 for owner-trainer-driver Jerry Lighthill to enter the track’s record books.

The combination of owners Kevin and Deloy Appel and trainer-driver Charles Peter captured the other two filly stakes on the day’s card. DTM (Ilooklikemymom-Miss Gigi D) won the other split of the 2-year-old filly trot in 2:07.3, while First To Cruise (Yankee Cruiser-First To Stand) remained undefeated after nine starts in taking the lone division of the 2-year-old filly pace in 2:00.3.

— Bill Peters

Port Royal speed show blazes to conclusion

Port Royal, PA — The two-day speed show of harness racing at the Juniata County Fair in Port Royal, Pa., came to a dazzling conclusion Wednesday afternoon, with the all-time pacing record smashed, the trotting mark tied, and a total of seven newly-established sectional track marks.

The Dragon Again-Mardelle Hanover sophomore pacing filly Makerbark was the star of the blazing afternoon, stopping the timer in 1:56.4 (last half :57.3) to shave two-fifths of a second off the all-time Port Royal record (1:57.1, J T Arturo, 2002) while also lowering the divisional mark by over three seconds.

The connection between the old track record holder and the new one is (of course) Roger Hammer, who sulkysat for both miles. Trainer Hammer owns Makerbark, now a 10-time winner this year, with Vicki Fair.

Mablesimamazed, a sophomore Tagliabue-Just Mable gelding who didn’t earn a dime at two, is more than making up for lost time this year. His 2:01 triumph in a Sire Stakes mile equaled the all-time Port Royal mark on the trot, set three years ago by the filly Lindmeyourpajamas, and lowered the divisional speed badge of Shark Kosmos by two full seconds. Mablesimamazed, six for seven at the fairs this year, was driven by Bryce Truitt for trainer Cindy Truitt and owner Delmar Smith.

Wednesday’s other divisional standard was the 1:58.4 produced by High Concentrated in a division of the FFA pace, lowering by two-fifths the previous older horse/gelding standard of the well-remembered Audie K. Justin Vincent came all the way over from the Eastern Shore to handle the Cam’s Card Shark gelding for owner-trainer Melissa Olsen.

In all, there were six 2:00 miles over the two days of Port Royal competition, as the raise in purses provided by slot revenue has sent the standard of PA fair harness racing zooming to an all-time high.

— Jerry Connors