by Bill Peters

Edgerton, OH — The 2016 Signature Series got off to a big start with two new track records being established at the Putnam County Fair in Ottawa, Ohio.

Krista Harmon’s Rompaway Beau (Chip Chip Hooray-Rompaway Stacey) got things going on Tuesday night (June 21) with a 1:58.4 mile in the first division of the Signature Series Trot. The time bettered the track’s previous trotting mark of 2:01.3 set by This Sands Hot in 2012. Mark Headworth piloted the 10-year-old gelding Rompaway Beau to the new record while owner Krista Harmon does the training.

The second split of the Signature Series Trot went to Count Full Mac (Full Count-Stormin Tilly) in 2:03.2. Bud High is the owner-trainer-driver of the 5-year-old gelding.

Wednesday (June 22) night’s racing brought a new pacing track record when Harvard’s Z Tam (Electric Yankee-Slick Fit) stopped the timer in 1:57 in the lone division of the Signature Series Pace. The old mark for the Ottawa oval was 1:57.2 by Camcoder in 2004. Nineteen-year-old Pierce Henry steered the 9-year-old gelding Harvard’s Z Tam to the record-setting mile. Phillip Groves owns the pacer with his father Harry performing the training duties.

The next stop for the Signature Series will be at the Logan County Fair in Bellefontaine, Ohio, with the trotting division going postward on Tuesday (July 12) and the pacers following up on Wednesday (July 13). Entries for both races must be made by 11 a.m. three days before their scheduled race day.

The Signature Series is for horses, geldings and mares that are at least four years old. The horses earn points leading up to $12,500 finals at the Delaware County Fair in Delaware, Ohio, during Grand Circuit week in September.